New York activist investor takes Barclays (BARC) stake to mount campaign to double share price.
Michelin plans £1.2bn takeover of British engineer Fenner (FENR)
Micro Focus International (MCRO) shares cut in half as boss of Britain’s biggest tech business quits. The chief executive of Micro Focus is to carry the can for a botched merger with Hewlett Packard Enterprise that battered the company’s revenues and sparked a calamitous fall in the share price.
William Hill (WMH), Ladbrokes Coral Group (LCL) – Gambling watchdog calls for £30 upper limit on machines. Investors in gambling companies won some relief on Monday as the industry watchdog suggested much less harsh restrictions on controversial betting machine stakes than anticipated, but the crackdown is expected to knock high street bookies nonetheless.
Melrose Industries (MRO) has offered to put £1bn into GKN (GKN) pension schemes. Heavyweight institutional investor Threadneedle has waded saying it backs the blue-chip engineer’s management, despite their previous mis-steps. Columbia Threadneedle has swung in behind GKN’s new management team led by Anne Stevens, saying it favours them over turnaround investor Melrose, which has made a hostile bid for the business.
Conviviality (CVR) boss Diana Hunter falls on her sword after double profit warnings.
Finsbury Food Group (FIF) profits up despite butter and eggs price spike.
Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) works up plans for standalone digital bank.
Hammerson (HMSO) rejects £5bn French takeover which threatens Intu Properties (INTU) deal. Hammerson has rebuffed a £5bn takeover offer by French rival Klépierre, sparking concerns that a bidding war could threaten its proposed merger with UK peer Intu.
BT Group (BT.A) seals deal with union to shut final salary pension scheme.
Accrol Group Holdings (ACRL) plunged 17.8p to 10.3p, a fresh all-time low, on admitting that it is on the verge of breaking banking covenants after costs spiralled.
Aldermore Group (ALD) to push into business banking following FirstRand takeover.
Questor: Shaftesbury (SHB) mixed London portfolio is well placed to benefit from Crossrail effect
