Connor Campbell

The artist formerly known as Google: the A to Z of Alphabet

The artist formerly known as Google: the A to Z of Alphabet

7 mins. to read

With Google Inc shocking everyone by announcing its newly formed umbrella overlord Alphabet Inc, it’s time to take a look at the A to Z (well sort of – it was hard!) of the new company. A is for… Alphabet Inc Effectively the new name for Google Inc. Firstly Alphabet will be created as a…

PayPal’s new playpen

PayPal’s new playpen

3 mins. to read

Like Oedipus before it, PayPal has (sort of) slayed its father eBay and taken the e-commerce seller’s place on the S&P 100 after the online payment system provider spun-off from the company that bought it for $1.5 billion back in 2002. So how will the nascent stock fare untethered from its (former) parent? Well, early…

How sweet is the Ferrero deal for Thorntons?

How sweet is the Ferrero deal for Thorntons?

4 mins. to read

Chocolate – indulgence, gift, comfort food the world over. The sweet treat is many things to many people, and a permanent part of the snack landscape – the snackscape if you will. Yet in a minor repeat of the infamous Kraft/Cadbury collision of 2010, the number of players in the chocolate world just declined by…

Is the M&A machine right to be intoxicated by Diageo?

Is the M&A machine right to be intoxicated by Diageo?

4 mins. to read

On Monday the M&A rumour mill, which has been in overdrive since the year began, spat out reports, based on a 40 word Brazilian blog, that three of the Brazilian backers of Anheuser-Busch InBev were considering a bid for Diageo. Of course, such reports sent Diageo’s stock jumping by just shy of 7%, with continued…

Synergy Health: a lesson in the perils of M&A fever

Synergy Health: a lesson in the perils of M&A fever

3 mins. to read

2015 has been a stellar year for M&A fans; seemingly every day a serious merger or acquisition is being considered, composed or completed. Shell and BG, Playtech and Plus500, Intel and Altera, Bwin and GVC or 888, Zoopla and uSwitch: this is a small selection of the deals that have been floated or confirmed in…