Could Informa be next prey for FTSE predators?

WILL Informa be the first FTSE100-listed company of the year to be targeted by a private equity giant? Or is an industry rival preparing a swoop on the publishing and events company?

Those are the questions investors are asking themselves as rumours whip around the Square

Mile about a possible takeover of Informa, the publisher of titles including Lloyd’s List.

In 2008, several private equity firms including Providence and Carlyle came together to attempt a buyout of Informa, but the deal collapsed amid the fallout from the financial crisis. Since then, Informa has grown substantially. It merged with rival UBM in 2018 to create Britain’s biggest events and publishing firm.

However, just last year Informa was forced to go cap in hand to shareholders via a £1billion rights issue amid fears for its financial prospects.

Now, however, the talk in the market is that a mystery predator is working with banks such as Goldman Sachs and Citigroup on a blockbuster £10 billion-plus takeover bid.

WITH the environment at the top of the political agenda it may not be a surprise to hear that the Government could be about to give the green light to a set of multi-million pound loans to Pensana, a London-listed rare earth minerals firm.

In March, the company said it would receive money from the Government’s £1billion Automotive Transformation Fund. City sources said more detail is about to emerge about the loan.

Earlier this year it emerged that Pensana was looking to develop Western Europe’s first rare earth processing plant, a £90 million separation facility in Hull.

The aim is to produce a sustainable supply of rare earth oxides, used in offshore wind turbines and electric vehicles.