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☆ Exclusive: Russia's VTB may pull out of running for Yandex stake - CEO Kostin
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Maxim ShemetovMOSCOW, June 9 (Reuters) - Russian state-owned lender VTB (VTBR.MM) may pull out of the running to acquire a stake in internet giant Yandex (YNDX.O), the bank's CEO, Andrei Kostin, told Reuters, as discussions are now centered around higher prices than the bank's initial offer. Kostin said he was not sure VTB would continue with its bid. "I am not sure that we will go into Yandex," Kostin told Reuters when asked about plans. "It was announced at $7 billion recently, we submitted our application at a different price level, lower," Kostin said. VTB was hit hard with Western sanctions over Russia's actions in Ukraine, something that limits its ability to front a consortium bid, Kostin said.

Persons: Maxim Shemetov, Andrei Kostin, Kostin, –, Arkady Volozh, VTB, Vladimir Potanin, Vagit Alekperov, Guy Faulconbridge, Elena Fabrichnaya, Alexander Marrow Organizations: Moscow International Business Center, REUTERS, VTB, Reuters, Kostin, Yandex NV, Thomson Locations: Moscow, City, Russia, Maxim Shemetov MOSCOW, Yandex, Ukraine, Yandex's

☆ Here's where a possible sale of Bed Bath & Beyond and Buy Buy Baby stands
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"Everything on Sale" signs at a Buy Buy Baby store in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. The auction process for Bed Bath & Beyond and its assets was extended once again as discussions progress with potential bidders, namely for its Buy Buy Baby chain of stores. In court papers filed Thursday, Bed Bath & Beyond said it would delay its sale timeline by a few days "to ensure the most value maximizing transaction is achieved." The assets of the baby gear retailer Buy Buy Baby had earlier attracted interest from at least two bidders, including Babylist, CNBC previously reported. Buy Buy Baby has been considered the crown jewel of the assets, reportedly attracting interest in 2022 and in the months ahead of the bankruptcy filing.

Persons: Janie, Jack Organizations: Babylist, CNBC, Street Locations: Brooklyn, New York, Bath

☆ Latest 'deadline' looms in Man Utd takeover saga
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Mitch Phillips | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, June 9 (Reuters) - Manchester United fans can be forgiven if they refrain from eagerly checking the news on Friday as the latest "deadline" looms in the meandering seven-month saga of the club's sale that is beginning to resemble the final series of TV's Succession. That comes two months after a "third and final offer" was said to have been tabled. Media reports in the UK suggested that the Glazers are seeking six billion pounds ($7.5 billion), which would be a world record for any sports club or franchise, but that neither bid is that high. Further bids followed, up to the Qatari's earlier this week, which is said to include clearing nearly a billion pounds of club debt and a commitment to a major redevelopment of Old Trafford. Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jassim bin Hamad, Briton Jim Ratcliffe, Sheikh Jassim, Glazer, Todd, Ratcliffe, Joel, Avram Glazer, Glazers, Erik ten Hag, United's, Mitch Phillips, Toby Davis Organizations: Manchester United, Daily Mail, Reuters, Guardian, United, Media, Premier League club Chelsea, Washington Commanders NFL, Raine Group, Ineos Grenadiers, Britain's Times, Group, Champions League, Manchester, Inter Milan, Premier League, FA Cup, Thomson Locations: Thani, Briton, Qatar, Old Trafford, Old Trafford . Manchester, France, Switzerland

☆ Golf’s new Saudi deal presents questionable political, business and sporting realities
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

And the deal is also undeniably a great piece of business, assuming PGA Tour players accept it. And all pending litigation between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour was also mutually ended under the new agreement. He “co-opted the 9/11 community last year in the PGA’s unequivocal agreement that the Saudi LIV project was nothing more than sports washing of Saudi Arabia’s reputation,” the group said in a statement. Unresolved sporting conundrumsThere are as many sporting questions about the PGA Tour/LIV Golf partnership that remain unanswered. Then there is the question of how current PGA Tour members will respond.

Persons: LIV Golf, Arnold Palmer, Jamal Khashoggi, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, –, LIV –, Jay Monahan, Monahan, ”, “, Saudi LIV, ” Monahan, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Cam Smith, Donald Trump, LIV, Trump, Khashoggi, ” Trump, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Tuesday’s LIV, Qataris, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, ” Yasir Al, Rumayyan, of Famer Greg Norman, Collin Morikawa, Mickelson, Alan Shipnuck, Shipnuck Organizations: CNN, PGA, Saudi, Post, Premier League, Global, Families United, Saudi shills, Crown, Formula One, NBA, Tour, Qatar, Soccer, Manchester City, United, Newcastle, Indian Premier League, Al, Real, Saudi Public Investment, “, Saudi Public Investment Fund, CNBC, of Famer, Open, Twitter Locations: Washington, Saudi, Qaeda, Riyadh, China, Western Europe, East, India, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Ittihad, Real Madrid, French

☆ Buy Buy Baby draws sale interest in Bed Bath & Beyond bankruptcy, one bidder looks to save stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

A Buy Buy Baby store in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. That's where Buy Buy Baby – and its long-held name recognition – would come in. "We have tremendous trust with new and expecting parents but Buy Buy Baby is much better known with kind of that older generation," she said. The crown jewel of Bed Bath & BeyondThis is not the first time Buy Buy Baby has seen sale interest. Buy Buy Baby has remained a bright spot in Bed Bath & Beyond's otherwise dismal earnings reports in recent years.

Persons: Stephanie Keith, Natalie Gordon, It's, Gordon, Babylist, it's, –, Ryan Cohen, Chewy, Cohen Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, Bed, CNBC, Capital Advisors, GameStop, & $ Locations: Brooklyn, New York, Bed Bath, Beverly Hills , California, Bath

☆ Desperate for cash, the Treasury will sell one-day bills
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Cash management bills mature in a relatively short time frame, ranging from a few days to a year, according to the Treasury. Unlike Treasury bill auctions that occur on a weekly and monthly basis, cash management bill auctions are irregular, though not uncommon. Over the past 25 years, the Treasury held six one-day cash management bill auctions. Yields on cash management bills, which are determined by the auction process, tend to be higher than regular fixed maturity bills. On Thursday, the Treasury auctioned $25 billion of three-day cash management bills yielding 6.15%.

Persons: Treasury hasn’t, Janet Yellen, Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, Biden, Cash, They’re, ”, Charlie Ripley Organizations: CNN, Treasury Department, Treasury, Senate, Allianz Investment Management

☆ The debt ceiling drama may feel like it’s over, but it may have only just begun
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

There could be an even more dramatic second act to the debt ceiling drama. This time around, one of the top credit rating agencies, Fitch, has already placed US debt on rating watch negative. As of Wednesday, the other two major sovereign debt credit rating agencies, S&P and Moody’s, have not placed US debt under review. If Fitch downgrades US debt, it could cause yields on Treasury notes to spike, underscoring the increased risks associated with holding US debt. However, the opposite occurred after S&P downgraded US debt in 2011 — investors shrugged it off and bought more bonds, sending yields lower.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin McCarthy, Biden, It’s, Fitch, McCarthy, Chip Somodevilla, Michael Reynolds, ”, George Catrambone Organizations: New, New York CNN, Senate, AAA, US Treasury, U.S . Department of Treasury, Treasury Department, DWS, Treasury Locations: New York, States, US, Washington ,, Americas

☆ An 'unliveable shack that must be demolished' just sold for $1.1 million in Sydney after a bidding war. It shows how messed up Australia's housing market has become.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Nidhi Pandurangi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An "unliveable shack that must be demolished" in a Sydney suburb just sold for $1.1 million. The Australian property market has been on a red-hot streak — home prices rose for a second straight month in April. The pricing guide was AU$1.2 million, and bidding started at AU$1.25 million, according to a video of the bidding posted on YouTube. On May 18, a "dilapidated" home in Paddington, an upscale suburb in eastern Sydney, sold for AU$1.53 million, according to a news.com.au report. There were ten bidders for the "unliveable" three-bedroom house, which had been deemed too dangerous for inspections, per the report.

☆ Brazil's Americanas to seek bidders for fruit and vegetable unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO, May 18 (Reuters) - Brazil retailer Americanas SA (AMER3.SA) said on Thursday it will next week start to seek potential bidders for the acquisition of its Hortifruti Natural da Terra (HNT) business unit. In a securities filing, Americanas said it has hired Citigroup Global Markets Brazil as the financial adviser for conducting the process to sell the unit, which markets fruits and vegetables. Americanas noted, however, it has started "evaluating strategic alternatives for the business, which may involve preliminary contacts with potential interested parties." Co and HNT," Americanas said in the filing. Reporting by Carolina Pulice and Peter Frontini; Editing by David Alire GarciaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Federal employee pleads guilty to steering millions in contracts to family-connected firms
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The OPM worker, 54-year-old Sheron Spann, is due to be sentenced Sept. 21. When Enlightened was incorporated in Maryland and Washington in 1997, Sheron Spann signed documents as a witness for its articles of incorporation, documents show. Enlightened won that contract, which had a funding ceiling of $4.5 million, with Sheron Spann serving as OPM's point of contact on the deal, the court filing said. Work under that contract ended up surpassing the original funding ceiling, "to exceed $25 million," according to the filing. Enlightened won a $1.5 million contract from OPM in April 2017 without having to compete with other bidders, the filing said.

Senator Elizabeth Warren is questioning federal bank regulators on their decision to sell First Republic Bank to the nation's largest bank, JP Morgan Chase. In a letter sent to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Wednesday, Warren said the deal was "deeply troubling," and sought details on how the agencies decided to arrange that particular sale, allowing JPM to grow even larger. This is a troubling outcome, leaving me with numerous questions," she wrote. The FDIC announced this month it had seized First Republic and sold it to JPM in a deal that it estimated would cost its deposit insurance fund $13 billion. Warren also pressed the matter with Michael Hsu, the acting Comptroller of the Currency, at a hearing Thursday.

☆ Sen. Elizabeth Warren presses regulators for answers on First Republic takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., greets Martin Gruenberg, chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, during the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing in Dirksen Building on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. WASHINGTON — Sen. Elizabeth Warren is asking federal financial regulators for answers over what she called a "deeply troubling" deal that saw JPMorgan Chase take over First Republic Bank. "Our financial strength, capabilities and business model allowed us to develop a bid to execute the transaction in a way to minimize costs to the Deposit Insurance Fund." Instead, the insurance fund was allowed to take a multibillion-dollar loss after billions of dollars worth of the bank's uninsured deposits were rescued during the deal, Warren said. "The FDIC appeared to prioritize First Republic's uninsured deposits at the bank before the Insurance Fund," she said.

☆ Vice Media's bankruptcy has 'killed the ad pipeline' for the company, sources say, as questions about its future roil staffers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Vice Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 15, leaving current and laid-off staffers anxious over what's next. One advertising source told Insider, "The bankruptcy has killed the ad pipeline." Employees who were laid off in recent weeks are demanding answers about how the company's bankruptcy will affect the terms of their departure. One of the former execs told Insider they were just keeping their fingers crossed that payments come through. A person close to the company said Vice Media intends to pay severance and COBRA, subject to court approval.

☆ Tractor maker Deere's future in precision agriculture hinges on space-based connectivity
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Morgan Brennan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

But the farm equipment maker has been planting the seeds for an increasingly high-tech and autonomous future – one that critically hinges on space. But connectivity is the linchpin of this vision, and space fills a void left by fiber and traditional cellular signals. "We think satellite communications is a really intriguing, interesting technology to pursue to sort of solve that communications gap." Last fall the company put out a request for proposal to the satellite communications industry to partner on space-based connectivity services. "We had this opportunity to bring two industries together — satellite space communications and agriculture — and say, 'What kind of value could we create?'"

☆ North America Got the 2026 World Cup. Which City Will Get the Final?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Victor Mather | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At most other World Cups, there is an obvious choice for the final game. Moscow, Rio de Janeiro and Paris were always going to be chosen when their countries hosted the tournament. But there are several attractive candidates for the 2026 final, to be played July 19. The only previous time the United States hosted the World Cup, in 1994, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., got the final. This time, SoFi Stadium is the Los Angeles-area site on the list of stadiums for 2026.

☆ Virgin Orbit enters $17 million 'stalking horse' bid to sell aircraft assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 16 (Reuters) - Bankrupt satellite launch company Virgin Orbit said on Tuesday it entered into a "stalking horse" agreement with Stratolaunch to sell mainly its aircraft assets, including the "Cosmic Girl" carrier aircraft, for $17 million in cash. A stalking horse bid is used as a starting bid or minimally accepted offer that other interested bidders must surpass if they want to buy the asset or company. In a court filing, Virgin Orbit said the bid does not prevent going concern bidders from making bids for all its assets, including the ones Stratolaunch is bidding for. The company said the bankruptcy marketing process has also generated considerable interest in its assets other than carrier aircraft. Virgin Orbit, founded by billionaire Richard Branson, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April after the company struggled to secure long-term funding following a failed satellite launch in January.

☆ Virgin Orbit enters "stalking horse" bid to sell aircraft assets for $17 mln
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

May 16 (Reuters) - Bankrupt satellite launch company Virgin Orbit said on Tuesday it has entered into a "stalking horse" agreement with Stratolaunch to sell mainly its aircraft assets, including the "Cosmic Girl" carrier aircraft, for $17 million in cash. A stalking horse bid is used as a starting bid or minimally accepted offer that other interested bidders must surpass if they want to buy the company. In a court filing, Virgin Orbit said the bid does not prevent going concern bidders from making bids for all its assets, including the ones which Stratolaunch is bidding for. Reporting by Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Virgin Orbit receives $17 million bid for rocket-carrying aircraft in bankruptcy court
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bankrupt rocket company Virgin Orbit received a $17 million "stalking horse" bid for its modified 747 carrier jet and other aircraft assets, as it continues to examine options during Chapter 11 court proceedings. A stalking horse bid represents the first foray on assets of a bankrupt company, and effectively sets the minimum bid for any potential competing offers. According to bankruptcy filings released Tuesday, the stalking horse agreement followed "hard-fought negotiations" between the companies. Virgin Orbit filed for bankruptcy protection on April 4 after the company failed to secure a funding lifeline and laid off nearly its entire workforce. Virgin Orbit previously disclosed that it received "over 30 indications of interest" during its bankruptcy process, with the company continuing to look for a wholesale deal.

☆ I built a website that brings in 6 figures in passive income. Here are my best tips on getting started, from using Google AdSense to growing organic traffic.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Robin Madell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

He says getting advertisements onto his site was simple, and now he gets payouts every month. That motivated me to add some new features and optimize the site for search engines. I couldn't find any good resources on the web or in the Google search results with the information I sought. This is where an ad network came in — using a network to sell ad space keeps the entire process passive. For a small web publishing business, monthly net profit can be as simple as ad revenue minus hosting costs.

☆ Airline SAS's rescue moves closer as court clears fundraising plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 15 (Reuters) - SAS's (SAS.ST) rescue has moved a step closer after a U.S. court approved a revised plan from the Scandinavian airline to raise equity. The long-suffering airline filed for U.S Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last year. The court approval of the fundraising proposal - a key element of the "SAS Forward" rescue plan - means investors may start placing bids for a stake in the airline. In the updated plan, SAS said that without the support of Denmark the emergence from Chapter 11 "will face significant uncertainty, cost, and delay." It said it now planned to complete the Chapter 11 process "in the latter part of the second half of 2023".

☆ In Battle of Basquiats, Valentino Gets $67 Million for Masterpiece ‘The Nile’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Kelly Crow | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Fashion designer Valentino Garavani posed in his Fifth Avenue apartment in 2010 with the ‘Nile’ painting in the background. Photo: Jonathan Becker/Art: Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York/ Richard PrinceFashion designer Valentino Garavani sold a nearly 12-foot-wide Jean-Michel Basquiat painting that interrogates the history of slavery for $67 million at Christie’s on Monday. Mr. Garavani paid $5.2 million for 1983’s “El Gran Espectaculo (The Nile)” in 2005, but the triptych came up for bid with a $45 million estimate, according to auction database Artnet . This time around, two dogged bidders chased it higher, with an anonymous telephone bidder winning it.

☆ Egypt sells $121.6 mln stake in state-controlled Telecom Egypt
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CAIRO, May 14 (Reuters) - Egypt's government sold a 9.5% stake in state-controlled Telecom Egypt (ETEL.CA) for 3.75 billion Egyptian pounds ($121.6 million), the finance ministry said in a statement on Sunday, breathing life into a privatisation programme that had seemingly stalled. The stock exchange said on Sunday the sale of 162.2 million shares of Telecom Egypt had been executed for a total 3.75 billion pounds. Another 0.5% of the shares are now being offered to Telecom Egypt employees until May 25. The two-part sale will reduce the government's stake in Telecom Egypt to 70% from the previous 80%, with the other 20% floating on the Egyptian Exchange. The ministry statement did not say what portion of the shares were sold to local buyers as opposed to non-Egyptians.

☆ Blackstone, Apollo were among about 20 bidders for SVB's assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 10 (Reuters) - Blackstone Inc (BX.N) and Apollo Global Management (APO.N) were among about 20 bidders for some assets of collapsed Silicon Valley Bank, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) said on Wednesday. PNC Financial Services (PNC.N), Valley Bank, Citizens Bank and BankUnited (BKU.N) were also among the bidders, the FDIC said in a summary document, adding that one or more bidders submitted more than one bid. The bids, which closed on March 10, were followed by First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA.O) purchasing all the loans and deposits of SVB later that month. That was since eclipsed by First Republic Bank which was seized by regulators in early May and sold to JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N). The deal announced in March said First Citizens would acquire SVB's assets of $110 billion, deposits of $56 billion and loans of $72 billion.

☆ Blackstone, Apollo were among bidders for SVB's assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

May 10 (Reuters) - Blackstone Inc (BX.N), Apollo Global Management (APO.N) were among the bidders for some assets of bankrupt Silicon Valley Bank, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) said on Wednesday. PNC Financial Services (PNC.N), Valley Bank, Citizens Bank and BankUnited (BKU.N) were also part of the 19 bidders, the FDIC said. Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Sembcorp, which is 49.3% owned by Singapore's state investor Temasek Holdings, has hired HSBC (HSBA.L) to run the sale of SembWaste, according to the sources. First-round of non-binding bids are due by early June, said one of the sources, declining to be named as the matter is private. Last year, SembWaste's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization was S$50 million ($37.75 million), one of the sources added. Last year, Singapore's asset manager Keppel consortium bought a 80% stake in environmental services firm 800 Super Holdings for S$304 million. SembWaste is one of three public waste collectors appointed by Singapore's National Environment Agency to provide waste and recyclable collection services to residential, schools and trade premises in the city-state, according to its website.

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