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HMV's MAMA takeover path clear

The path for retailer HMV’s £46m takeover of MAMA Group was cleared today after a rival offer for the music venues and festivals firm lapsed without support.Read

Nestle sells eye care stake

Nestle secured a multi-billion dollar boost today after selling its stake in an eye care firm it acquired for US$280m in 1977.Read

Property firm quits retailing

PROPERTY firm Segro today bowed out of the retail sector with the £26.9m sale of its stake in a shopping centre partnership with Tesco.Read

Manufacturing coming home

MANUFACTURERS are moving production back to the UK from overseas amid concerns over quality and the high cost of freight, it was reported today.Read

Question mark over new JP Morgan HQ

Banking giant JP Morgan may scrap plans to build a new £1.5bn headquarters in London due to the Government’s bonus tax and tougher City regulations.Read

O2 apologises after network swamped

The head of mobile phone operator O2 has apologised to customers who were unable to make calls after the group’s network was swamped by people using smartphones.Read

Snack vender seeks acquisitions

One of the UK’s largest vending machine operators today said it was looking at more acquisitions after buying its main rival earlier this year.Read

Record fees for investment banks

Investment banks gained record fees this year as companies raised funds to weather the recession, research showed today.Read

Whitbread in sale and leaseback deal

Hotel and restaurant group Whitbread today said it would raise £36.7m through a sale and leaseback of five Premier Inn hotel sites.Read

Balfour snaps up Strata

The UK’s biggest builder, Balfour Beatty, today bolstered its regional arm with a £10.3m takeover of Strata Construction.Read

Shanks takeover approach

US buy-out firm Carlyle today confirmed it had approached waste management group Shanks with a potential takeover offer.Read

Wednesday lunchtime market update

A FESTIVE rally for the London market left the FTSE 100 Index within touching distance of its highest point of the year today.Read

HMV agrees takeover deal

MUSIC and games firm HMV today shored up its position in the growing live music market after agreeing a £46m takeover of MAMA Group.Read

Wednesday morning market opening

THE London market extended its pre-Christmas rally today after the best US home sales in three years suggested the world’s biggest economy is gaining strength.Read

New deal for Ideal couple

The co-founders of the Ideal World home shopping business claimed another success today after unveiling a £5m takeover of their plant and garden equipment retail venture - just two years after they set it up.Read

Last chapter for book chain Borders

BOOK chain Borders saw its last day of trading today as the business prepares to shut down after 12 years with the loss of 1,100 jobs.Read

Tuesday afternoon market update

CITY dealing rooms were awash with pre-Christmas cheer today as the FTSE 100 Index saw its second straight day of strong gains.Read

Tuesday morning market opening

THE London market’s pre-Christmas rally continued today after further gains for oil stocks.Read

888 gets nod to buy wink bingo

ONLINE gaming firm 888 today announced plans to buy internet rival Wink Bingo for up to around £60 million as it looks to step up its UK presence in the sector.Read

Ticketmaster merger gets the nod

The mega-merger of ticketing giant Ticketmaster with the world’s largest concert promoter, Live Nation, was given the all-clear by UK regulators today.Read