Goldman Sachs Slashes Adani Group Stakes From Its ESG Funds
The investment arm of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. dramatically reduced its exposure to the Adani Group in its
2023-05-17 18:56
Man Utd takeover: Sheikh Jassim launches even bigger last-ditch bid to buy football club
The Qatari billionaire Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has raised his bid for Manchester United by making a fourth and last-ditch offer for the club, which is understood to be closer to £5 billion. The businessman has made a late intervention after the lifelong United fan, and petrochemicals billionaire, Sir Jim Ratcliffe had submitted his third bid which valued United at a higher figure. As with all of Sheikh Jassim’s previous proposals, he is trying to buy 100 percent of the club, where the Glazer family are current majority shareholders. The Qatari has also pledged to clear United’s debt of £536 million and has promised a separate fund directed at the club and the community. Ratcliffe’s most recent bid allowed Joel and Avram Glazer, two of the six siblings whose father, Malcolm, bought the club in 2005, to retain a stake while aiming to complete a takeover in the next few years. The American merchant bank the Raine Group are overseeing the process for the Glazers. There have been three previous rounds of bids, without seeming to meet the Glazers’ valuation, though Ratcliffe had emerged as the favourite to complete a deal. Read More Eddie Howe: Football must learn from my confrontation with fan Dimitar Berbatov warns Harry Kane not to ‘tarnish’ Tottenham legacy by leaving You’re asking the wrong person – Emma Hayes not interested in title permutations
2023-05-17 18:15
Ed Woodward accepts first job since Man Utd departure
Former Manchester United executive vice-chair Ed Woodward has accepted a first job since departing Old Trafford last year. Woodward has joined the board of educational esports company EStars as a non-executive director. EStars is “at the heart of the fastest-growing sport in the world”, using esports to bring classmates together, both during and after school hours, to foster great academic goals, inclusion, diversity and positive outcomes. Ex-Newcastle, Netherlands and current Norwich goalkeeper Tim Krul has been a shareholder in the company since its inception in 2017 and Woodward explained his decision to accept the new role. He said: “When you put together esports, education and a dynamic region such as the Middle East, where curriculum decisions can be made faster than Europe, it is a recipe for success. “Joining the team is an easy decision when you add the exceptional leadership and entrepreneurial energy of Mags [founder Mags Byrne]. I’m excited about EStars delivering a path of learning for the next generation in the (relatively) new industry of esports.” Having qualified as a chartered accountant and then worked at JPMorgan as an investment banker, Woodward joined Man United in 2005 to oversee their commercial operations, having advised the Glazer family on their purchase of the club. He was appointed to the board of directors in 2008 and became executive vice-chair in 2013 when David Gill retired. He became an incredibly unpopular figure at Old Trafford due to his association with a Glazer regime that fans turned against and despite the £1bn he sanctioned in transfer fees, his tenure is regarded as a failure, with the club struggling on the pitch – in relative terms at least – in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. It has been mooted that he could help the Glazer family negotiate any potential sale of Manchester United as the takeover saga drags on. Read More What would a Sir Jim Ratcliffe takeover mean for Manchester United Erik ten Hag unsure what funds will be available to strengthen Man Utd’s squad Louis Van Gaal suggests Ed Woodward’s departure from Man Utd could spell success
2023-05-16 23:58
Thai Central Banker Signals More Hikes to Win Inflation Fight
Bank of Thailand Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput signaled that the central bank will stick to its gradual and measured
2023-05-15 12:57
Thai Economy Accelerates, Outlook Hinges on Election Outcome
Thailand’s economy expanded more than estimated in the first quarter as the nation benefited from a resurgent tourism,
2023-05-15 11:50
Ineos ‘optimistic’ over Man United purchase after increased contact with Raine Group
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has had more extensive contact with Raine Group over the past two weeks than Qatar, creating a positivity within the INEOS bid that they can be the next owners of Manchester United, although it has not yet been communicated who the preferred bidder is. That does leave the way open for a huge Qatar offer that many have long been waiting for, but it would have to be a significant increase on their third-round bid of under £5bn. They would also have to be quick, as it is now expected that an announcement on preferred bidder could come next week. While the nature of this process ultimately comes down to the numbers, there was irritation on the selling side at some of the briefing around the third Sheikh Jassim-led bid, given it was considerably lower than had been anticipated. The Independent has also been told that the Glazers have been giving consideration to the fact any Qatar offer could take six to nine months longer, due to the likelihood that the assessment by the Owners and Directors test would be far longer. The bid comes as the Premier League have sought to tighten regulations on state-linked owners, amid increasing pressure over the subject. The Glazers are also conscious of the fact that, if that happens, and the Qatar deal were to falter, Ratcliffe would be unlikely to come in on a point of principle. As the INEOS group have long pointed out, their offer can lead to a cleaner process. Ratcliffe's group are “optimistic” that, if the takeover process continues smoothly, they would at least have an agreement to buy the club by the summer transfer window. That could leave Erik ten Hag frustrated as regards transfers for next season, given the club would be restricted in what it could do, but with the offset that the future would be much clearer thereafter. Either way, the Glazers' bankers are currently willing to discuss final details with Ratcliffe. The only development that could currently change that is if Qatar come back in with a huge offer, and there is insistence from within the Gulf state they are still in the race. At the same time, discussions with Raine have been minimal, with one source even stating that it was as close as you can get to being “ghosted” in such processes. The prospective takeover of United has been discussed at the top levels of the state, but a number of political issues have complicated the planned purchase, not least the willingness to not be seen to just pay whatever it takes. From the start, Qatar have been insistent they will only buy for the right price. It remains to be seen whether that valuation changes as the possibility of failure looms. Read More What would a Sir Jim Ratcliffe takeover mean for Manchester United Erik ten Hag unsure what funds will be available to strengthen Man Utd’s squad Man Utd fans stage protest against Glazers before and during Aston Villa match
2023-05-13 16:28
Factbox: Linda Yaccarino - the advertising executive Musk picked as new Twitter CEO
Elon Musk has named former NBCUniversal advertising chief Linda Yaccarino as Twitter's new CEO, as the company tries
2023-05-13 03:49
Earnings Surge for Main Thai Airlines as Tourists Flock Back
Thai Airways International Pcl and Bangkok Airways Pcl reported a surge in first-quarter earnings as tourists flocked back
2023-05-12 12:51
Kasikornbank Halts Plans to Sell Asset Management Stake
Kasikornbank Pcl, Thailand’s second-biggest lender, has halted plans to sell a stake in its asset management business, according
2023-05-12 11:59
SoftBank posts $7.18 billion annual loss as Vision Fund slides further
TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan's SoftBank Group Corp reported an annual net loss of 970 billion yen ($7.18 billion) for the year
2023-05-11 14:26
SoftBank investors focus on Arm IPO at Q4 earnings
By Sam Nussey and Kiyoshi Takenaka TOKYO SoftBank Group Corp reports earnings on Thursday amid an uptick in
2023-05-10 11:25
After $1.8 Billion of Outflows, Asia’s Worst-Performing Stock Market Is Set for Election Boost
Thai investors are pinning their hopes on the general election to revive stocks in Asia’s worst-performing market this
2023-05-09 07:21