Financial News

Dutch media group VNU has received a takeover approach from a group of private equity firms that values the company at around 7.3bn euros (£5bn). The private equity consortium, which includes the Blackstone Group, the Carlyle Group and Permira, has spent several weeks examining VNU's accounts. VNU says it is evaluating the offer and is not talking to any other parties. The company has 38,000 employees working in marketing information, media measurement and business publishing. The world ...

By Michael Kahn SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - When Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ.N: Quote, Profile, Research) was looking for ways to make money from its sharper image display technology, the company relied on a piece of smart software to help it find the most profitable answer. The application quickly sifted through opportunities, in much the same way a venture capitalist might do, and calculat ...

LONDON (Reuters) - Asia-focused bank Standard Chartered (STAN.L: Quote, Profile, Research) played down newspaper speculation on Sunday that it could be a takeover target for a major U.S. banking group. The Observer quoted investment bankers as saying the London-based emerging-market specialist was being lined up as a bid target by U.S. groups such as J.P. Morgan Chase & Co (JPM.N: Quote, Profile ...

Simon Waktins, Mail on Sunday15 January 2006 THE most famous libel courtroom at the High Court is about to prove unlucky for someone tomorrow. Top City broker Collins Stewart Tullett, headed by chief executive Terry Smith, is taking on the Financial Times, the newspaper affectionately known as the Pink 'Un. OTHER STORIES Post Office 'at risk of going bust' NTL raises bid for Virgin Mobile Market report: Friday close DIY chain buys time with £200m deal Online sales boom boosts ...