Tuesday newspaper round-up: BT/EE, Russian interest rates, Sydney siege..
16th Dec 2014 06:34
BT has rejected a simpler takeover of O2 in favour of exclusive talks to buy Britain's biggest mobile operator, EE, for £12.5bn. However, according to The Telegraph, the combined entity will control "an unrivalled chunk of Britain's mobile airwaves" and the merger is likely to raise regulatory conce
Read moreBT enters exclusive talks with EE over mobile buy
15th Dec 2014 17:12
Telecoms group BT has entered exclusive talks with Deutsche Telekom (DT) and Orange about buying their mobile operation EE for £12.5bn, the company said on Monday. The period of exclusivity will last several weeks, allowing BT to complete its due diligence and for negotiations on a definitive agreem
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Miners sink while oil companies recover slightly
15th Dec 2014 14:48
Anglo-Australian miner BHP Billiton dipped following a downgrade at RBC Capital Markets to 'underperform' from 'sector-perform'. Other mining companies, including Fresnillo, Randgold Resources and Glencore, were also hit by a forecast of an extended period of low iron ore prices, due to over-supply
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks steady ahead of US data
15th Dec 2014 11:15
UK stocks were holding higher ahead of a week full of potential risk events. Significantly, on Sunday Bloomberg reported that Libya was forced to declare "force majeure" at two of its ports, Es Sider and Ras Lanuf, which have a combined capacity to export 560,000 barrels of oil per day. Somewhat ir
Read moreBT may unveil exclusive mobile talks as soon as Monday - report
15th Dec 2014 10:39
UK telecoms group BT could take a step forward in its bid to buy a mobile phone operator on Monday, according to a report. BT may announce exclusive talks with either EE or Telefonica's O2, news agency Bloomberg cited unidentified sources as saying. BT is believed to favour O2, but has continued to
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: BT, RBS, Tesco
14th Dec 2014 19:45
BT is expected to announce as soon as December 15th whether it plans to buy EE or O2 to reenter the mobile phone market, The Sunday Times reported. The FTSE 100 telecoms company was working on a deal at the weekend with a statement due early in the coming week. BT is thought to favour O2 but could s
Read moreLondon close: FTSE sinks 2.5%, extends weekly decline to 6.6%
12th Dec 2014 16:38
UK stocks plummeted to levels not seen in nearly two months on Friday as weak global economic data and an ongoing sell-off of crude oil hammered market sentiment. The FTSE 100 settled at just 6,300.63 by the end of trade, down an eye-watering 2.5% on the day, with just four constituents on the index
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks tumble as oil prices extend losses, data disappoints
12th Dec 2014 11:36
Weaker-than-expected data from across the globe and a continued plunge in oil prices meant that there was no let-up in the sell-off for UK equity markets on Friday. Stocks were falling for the fifth day straight, with shares in the oil and gas sector faring the worst. London's FTSE 100 was down a s
Read moreLondon open: Sell-off continues as UK resource stocks tank
12th Dec 2014 08:42
The dramatic sell-off on the FTSE 100 continued into its fifth straight day on Friday as a weak finish on Wall Street and disappointing data from China hammered already-fragile sentiment on the market. London's benchmark index was down a staggering 1.3% at 6,377 early on, dropping below the 6,400 le
Read moreTelefónica may accept BT shares in sale of O2
12th Dec 2014 07:59
Telefónica chairman César Alierta reportedly flew to London on Thursday as BT nears a decision over whether to pick up the Spanish company's mobile firm O2 or instead opt for Orange and Deutsche Telekom's EE. Both O2 and EE's owners were apparently willing to accept BT shares as part of the payment
Read moreVodafone may have to wait before tie-up with Liberty Global, says UBS
2nd Dec 2014 09:36
Following reports the Vodafone (VOD) is exploring a possible combination with Liberty Global (LBTY), UBS has said the UK telecoms group may have to wait until its shares rise before undertaking such a sizeable deal. The bank kept a 'buy' rating and 265p target price for the London-listed stock. Blo
Read moreSector movers: M&A hopes lift telecoms as BT and Vodafone gain
26th Nov 2014 14:26
Continuing bid speculation pushed stocks in the telecoms sector higher on Wednesday with heavyweights BT and Vodafone both on the rise. BT, up 2.4% by late afternoon, was extending recent gains after it was confirmed that the fixed-line telecoms provider was in talks with at least two groups about b
Read moreBroker tips: BT, Sage, Compass, Thomas Cook
26th Nov 2014 12:26
UBS has speculated that if BT follows through with its current talks to buy O2 or EE it would become less aggressive in the forthcoming Premier League rights auction and produce a better outcome for Sky. "We think concerns about Sky losing the EPL rights are weighing on investor sentiment but we are
Read moreLondon midday: Mining stocks and telecoms M&A give FTSE a lift
26th Nov 2014 11:42
Decent gains from miners and M&A speculation in the telecoms sector gave UK stocks a boost on Wednesday, along with data which confirmed that the British economy expanded as expected in the third quarter. London's FTSE 100 was up 0.2% at 6,747 by midday, with resource shares leading the charge, rebo
Read moreUBS sees benefits for Sky if BT buys EE or O2
26th Nov 2014 11:36
UBS has speculated that Sky could benefit if rival BT follows through with its current talks to buy O2 or EE and is forced to become less aggressive in the forthcoming Premier League rights auction. The Swiss bank estimated that the auction, in the first quarter of 2015, will cost at least £1bn per
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