Bloomberg Steinhoff International Holdings NV raised $332 million by selling its remaining shares in KAP Industrial Holdings Ltd as the embattled retailer looks to shore up its balance sheet. The owner of Conforama in France and Mattress Firm in the US sold its 26 percent stake in the South African industrial company at a 9.4 percent discount, Steinhoff said. The ...
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Bed Bath & Beyond surges most since 2000 on activist plans
Bloomberg Bed Bath & Beyond Inc soared as much as 30 percent — the most intraday in 19 years — on news that activist investors plan to challenge the home-goods retailer’s directors in a proxy fight. The company responded by saying the investors have ignored its requests for feedback and only appear interested in gaining ammunition for an activist battle. ...
Read More »Ascena soars on plan to sell its Maurices chain
Bloomberg Ascena Retail Group Inc, the owner of Ann Taylor and Dressbarn, soared after announcing it will sell a majority interest in its Maurices Inc chain to a private equity firm. The shares jumped the most in three months on the news. An affiliate of OpCapita LLP will buy a stake in the women’s clothing retailer in a deal valued ...
Read More »As Amazon leads cashless charge, US states push back
Bloomberg Rebecca Esparza works with homeless people and, having once lived in a shelter herself, knows what it’s like to navigate the US economy if you don’t have much money. For most of her clients, cash is king because they lack access to the financial tools many Americans take for granted—checking accounts, debit cards, payment apps. Esparza worries that the ...
Read More »Nike’s N American sales miss estimates
Bloomberg This might sound familiar to Nike Inc investors. The world’s largest sportswear company delivered strong third-quarter earnings, but missed on one important metric: North American sales. The home market dogged Nike for much of 2017 and early 2018, and the latest sales miss sent the shares down as much as 4.3 percent in New York. Third-quarter sales in Nike’s ...
Read More »France-Italy leadership clash dims Ray-Ban maker’s outlook
Bloomberg France and Italy, already tussling over everything from immigration to economics, have added sunglasses to their list of grievances. When Ray-Ban owner Luxottica and French prescription lens-maker Essilor completed a $53 billion merger last October, the deal seemed to clear the way for the Italian company’s 83-year-old founder Leonardo Del Vecchio to hand over management duties and start transferring ...
Read More »Sycamore seeks $1bn payout in Staples debt deal
Bloomberg Sycamore Partners is looking to take most of its cash out of Staples Inc through a recapitalisation that will saddle the company with roughly $1 billion of additional debt, according to people with knowledge of the plan. If successful, the debt sale will allow the private equity firm to recoup roughly two-thirds of the $1.6 billion it put up ...
Read More »Avon rises as Natura confirms possible deal
Bloomberg Avon Products Inc spiked after rival Natura & Co confirmed that it has engaged in talks with Avon about a “potential transaction,†without giving further details. The confirmation, made in a regulatory filing, comes hours after the Wall Street Journal reported Avon and Natura were in early discussions about a potential sale that could put the cosmetics maker and ...
Read More »Metro’s $1.5bn China sale draws Tencent
Bloomberg German food wholesaler Metro AG’s Chinese business has attracted potential bidders including internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd and domestic buyout firm Citic Private Equity, people with knowledge of the matter said. Metro kicked off its sale of a controlling stake in the Chinese unit this month and first-round offers are expected to be submitted in April, according to the ...
Read More »China baby formula maker Feihe revives $1 billion IPO
Bloomberg China Feihe Ltd, an infant formula producer, is restarting preparations for a Hong Kong initial public offering that could raise as much as $1 billion, people with knowledge of the matter said. The Heilongjiang-based company plans to sell shares as soon as this year, according to the people. Feihe is working with China Merchants Securities Co and JPMorgan Chase ...
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