Pearson is to acquire Mergermarket, the provider of financial information to investment banks with offices in London, New York and Hong Kong, for £101m. Founded in 2000, Mergermarket publishes market ... [more]

Investors in Prudential, the listed insurance giant, are pushing for the disposal of the UK assets according to reports. According to a person familiar with the matter, several major shareholders are ... [more]

Computer Software Group has acquired Videss, the legal software developer with offices in Leeds and Swindon, for £7m. The consideration will be satisfied by £6.57m in cash and the remainder in shares.... [more]

Metal Bulletin, the financial publisher, is to be acquired by Euromoney Institutional Investor for £221m. Euromoney's offer of 400 pence per share beats its previous offer in July of £187m (340 pence ... [more]

City Index is to acquire IFX, the financial spread betting company, for £58m. The 180 pence per share offer represents a premium of 15 per cent on IFX's share price on 25th April, when City's potentia... [more]

UK-listed life insurer and wealth manager Prudential could consider the sale of its closed with-profit portfolio, management has said. Closed funds - books of business that are closed to new entrants ... [more]

Scott Tod, the Powys-based cash machines manufacturer, is to be acquired by a fund part-owned by Rutland Trust for £7.4m at 21p per share. Scott Tod operates over 2,000 cash machines but has struggled... [more]

One Advice Group, the Sale-based consumer debt company with 212 staff, is planning to raise up to £27m in a share placing, and has also announced the £3m acquisition of Sale-based Abacus Financial Con... [more]

Giles Insurance Brokers, the Glasgow-based insurance company with 17 branches and 300 staff, has undergone a £45m management buy-out backed by private equity firm Gresham. Giles has made 23 acquisitio... [more]

Commerzbank, the German-listed bank, has hired JPMorgan Cazenove to advise on its listing of UK-based asset management division Jupiter. Commerzbank said that it is considering all possible options wh... [more]

Accuma Group has acquired Thomas Charles & Co, the London-based consumer debt advice company with 19 staff, for an initial £2m.... [more]

Seymour Pierce, the UK broker, is set to hire Lexicon Partners to advise on a sale. Speculation about a sale has increased recently, with rumours that Seymour has been approached by a potential buyer... [more]

General Electric has raised again the prospect of selling its GE life, its UK life assurance and pensions business after saying it would be prepared to reduce the price, previously mooted, by some £50... [more]

First round bids for Barcays Leasing, the vehicle and equipment leasing unit operated by Barclays business banking, are expected in this week. General Electric, Siemens, CIT Group, Fortis and Societe ... [more]

Barclays Private Equity is set to acquire Blemain Group, the loans company, for about £350m.... [more]

Star Capital is reviewing the future of its investment fund in private finance initiative projects, the Secondary Market Infrastructure Fund (SMIF). NM Rothschild has been appointed to conduct the rev... [more]

Colliers CRE has acquired Locum Consulting Group, the Haywards Heath-based consultancy with 20 staff, for £2m. Locum is a specialist consultancy practice, advising owners, managers and developers on s... [more]

Seymour Pierce, the London-based stockbroker, is rumoured to have made an approach to a potential buyer via its financial advisors. It has been reported that the executive chairman Keith Harris has be... [more]

Smith & Williamson, the independent financial services group, have appointed corporate finance group Hawkpoint to carry out a review of the company. The review could lead to a sale or a flotation. Smi... [more]

The appointment of Lehman Brothers as the new house broker for UK bank Lloyds TSB has prompted speculation of a sale from some sources, while others believe that the move could be a poison pill agains... [more]