The UK takeover regime isn’t kind to private equity buyers. It got even tougher after Kraft Foods Inc.’s bitter acquisition of rival confectioner Cadbury in 2010. But are its rules too restrictive? If the leveraged finance market bounces back, UK stocks should be a prime hunting ground for the private equity industry. Yet local M&A rules are often seen ...

  Russia’s efforts to use natural-gas exports as a geopolitical weapon present Europe with a challenge: When faced with such a clear and present threat, can it muster the solidarity required of a true union? Policymakers might be coalescing around what they see as an adequate plan. They should be more ambitious: Europe needs a permanent solution to its chronic ...

  Bloomberg Spirit Airlines Inc shareholders approved the carrier’s $3.8 billion cash sale to JetBlue Airways Corp, a milestone for a deal that’s poised to eliminate the largest US carrier offering deeply discounted fares. More than half of outstanding shares were voted in favour of the combination, according to preliminary results disclosed by the companies. JetBlue and Spirit still expect ...