Alliance Boots Share Discussion Threads

[miata] 30/3/2007 09:39

BBC business editor Robert Peston said that Boots was likely to recommend its shareholders accept a bid at that level and that the firm was "on its way into new ownership".

[technet] 30/3/2007 08:28

Great news ... cashed out at 10.42 (was only a few points from being stopped out earlier in the week so quite happy)

[arja] 30/3/2007 08:14

not the £11 hoped for!

[maiseymouse] 30/3/2007 06:56

morgan stanley reckons there could be a £2bn pension deficit that could scupper a takeover

[arja] 29/3/2007 08:52

the unexpectedly high debt level may mean a further bid will not be forthcoming ! but who knows in markets!!

[conan the trader] 28/3/2007 22:03

Yet another set of uninspiring numebrs from the incumbent management, with like-for-like sales in it UK retail division are expected to be around 1.6pc. With rivals achieving several multiples better than that figure, old Boots continues to fall further behind. Alliance Boots need new management to revitalise the business and generate strong growth.

Citigroup restates its sell on the back of the trading update, says consensus forecasts will go up around 2%. Broker says: 'We continue to believe that (deputy chairman Stefano) Pessina's presence means this must be taken seriously.

'The potential bid engages very substantially on future growth, synergies and profits trends that look to significantly better trends than the constituent businesses have achieved over the last 5-7 years.
'Accordingly we argue that investors should use the current market price as an opportunity to take profits a hedge against the possibility of no deal crystallising.'

[binladin] 28/3/2007 21:50

BUY SPS AND DOUBLE YOUR MONEY IN 3 WEEKS

[miata] 28/3/2007 18:19

"why do they need to take it private" - "they" dont, its just an Italian wants to buy it.

I agree with your assessment and just hope another group makes a bid.

[jeffian] 28/3/2007 17:02

I thought it was a pretty positive Trading Statement today but it begs the question (which I asked in #43 above), if it's all going so well, why do they need to take it private? I can see we're in danger of falling between a rock and a hard place here - on the one hand we're being asked to sell our company whose prospects, they say, are good and, on the other, if we don't I suspect the share price would fall back sharply in the short term and we have a disaffected major shareholder who is also a senior executive board member. Bit of a can of worms, no?

Regards, Ian

[miata] 28/3/2007 13:02

Alliance Boots' year-end (March 31 2007) debt will only be slightly lower than the 1.17bln stg at the half-way stage, which will raise the cost of Pessina/KKR acquiring the group and possibly lengthens the odds on the consortium significantly raising its offer.


Evolution says sell Alliance Boots - 700p target.

[arja] 27/3/2007 17:15

SP suggesting that no further bid forthcoming ! Hope i a wrong!!

[arja] 26/3/2007 16:00

surprising that AB affected by general market as dow plunges ! would have thought it would be unaffected!

[slinky lady] 26/3/2007 08:39

Thanks MIATA, so kind :-)

[miata] 25/3/2007 19:41

Re Original Boots Alliance merger

Full details of the merger see:



In essence special dividend was to give the proceeds of the sale of BHI to shareholders. Method equals taxable dividend income.

Reduced number of shares reflects smaller percentage of bigger merged business.

[conan the trader] 25/3/2007 18:06

LONDON (AFX) - UK private equity firm Terra Firma is considering a launching a rival bid for Alliance Boots PLC, the health and beauty retailer currently battling a takeover attempt led by its own deputy chairman, Stefano Pessina, the Sunday Express reported without citing sources.

The paper said Terra Firma, run by financier Guy Hands, has sounded out bankers to advise it on a possible bid for Boots, which two weeks ago rejected a 10 stg a share bid from Pessina and his backers, the US buyout firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR).

According to the Express, Terra Firma is looking for an adviser that is not already involved in other retail acquisitions, and has spoken to about 10 investment banks so far.

The UK retail sector has been gripped by a wave of takeover attempts in recent months, including a high-profile private equity bid for J Sainsbury, the UK's second-biggest supermarket chain.

No one at Terra Firma was immediately available to comment.

[slinky lady] 25/3/2007 16:44

Could somebody please help me? I'm trying to make sense of my figures for my tax purposes. I held 100 Boots shares which then got reduced to 67 Alliance Boots shares last year. Was the special dividend in February 2006 the way of 'paying' for the 23% reduction in my shares or did they get 'sold' with another payout?

Trying to work out whether there is just dividend income or sales income resulting in a CGT liability (not on this amount of course - elsewhere!)

Thanks so much for assistance of those whose recollection/paperwork is in better order than mine!

[brianbush] 23/3/2007 12:31

Announcements re takeovers are often made on a Friday!

[patricktrfc] 23/3/2007 11:46

Arja ,

Someone must have got wind of something......just like before the bid was announced, you'd think they would have tightened up the leaks...

P

[arja] 23/3/2007 11:18

up and down like a YOYO today! maybe some news later although i doubt it as still no big volume!

[arja] 22/3/2007 19:40

finished near the high today but volume nothing special. Hence unlikely to see revised bid this week . Nice stock to trade through spreadbetting !

[patricktrfc] 22/3/2007 14:17

It's been ten days since the £10 offer was rejected. Should see some movement next week I would have thought, or maybe a new offer late tomorrow afternoon, that would be acceptable to all.

I still think, and it's only my opinion, that this is a done and dusted deal. Over half of the directors used to work for Pessina and will form part of the new mgmt team. How independent can they be?

£10 bid, dismissed as this would have been seen as a stitch up...come back with £10.60-£10.75.....they put up a brave fight for shareholder value blah blah....

P

[patricktrfc] 19/3/2007 11:55

Miata thanks, I get the Times and MoS and not a peep there

Bidding war, just the ticket!


P

[miata] 19/3/2007 10:51

News in the papers:

The Independent on Sunday reported that private equity group KKR is mulling a revised bid of up to 1,060 pence per share.

The Sunday Express said Apax Partners is making early preparations to make its own bid for the group.

[patricktrfc] 17/3/2007 11:58

Miata

Last trade when the market was open was 1028.5-1031, the late trades could be working trades over the whole day or a number of days. Don't think we will see 10.147, I recon open at 1035ish, more if there is news in the papers

P

[miata] 17/3/2007 08:48

Interesting, depends when you reckon the finish was. The last trade at 17:11 was at £10.05. The volume weighted price for the day was £10.14 and Monday's pivot will be £10.147.