Mergers & acquisitions
Chemist Warehouse’s $8.8b merger could stifle competition, shut stores: ACCC
Australia’s competition watchdog has raised concerns that Chemist Warehouse’s planned merger with Sigma Healthcare into an $8.8 billion titan will hurt rivals in the pharmacy sector.
- by Jessica Yun
Latest
Opinion
Opinion
The ACCC’s bitter pill to Chemist Warehouse’s $8.8b pharmacy merger
Putting aside the strength of arguments from the merger parties and the regulator, the facts are that an ACCC amber light more often turns to red than to green.
- by Elizabeth Knight
Updated
Company mergers
BHP walks away from $75b takeover bid after Anglo rejects push for more talks
BHP has abandoned its six-week pursuit of rival Anglo American after a plea to extend takeover talks was turned down.
- by Simon Johanson
The northern beaches brothers who won from Woolies’ $590m bet on pets
Woolworths’ acquisition of a major stake in PETstock has yielded a third beneficiary, PetO, which has its own ambitions of being a major player in the pet store landscape.
- by Jessica Yun
Updated
BHP Group
Anglo rejects BHP’s $74 billion third offer, but leaves door open for deal
BHP has gained a one-week extension to come up with an improved and binding takeover offer for Anglo American after its rival rejected its latest bid.
- by Simon Johanson
Clock ticking for BHP as $64 billion bid deadline looms
The resources giant has until 2am on Thursday morning, Australian time, to increase its bid for rival miner Anglo American, issue a formal binding offer, or walk away.
- by Simon Johanson
How two bizarre billionaires almost destroyed Twitter
From Jack Dorsey’s love of “salt juice” to Elon Musk’s strange decision to kill off the famous bird symbol, this is the story of how Twitter was torn apart by the actions of two men.
- by Tom Knowles
Opinion
Casinos
The kindest thing to do with Star is to find it a new owner
There will always be jackals milling around a smelly corporate carcass. But none will want to pay top dollar for this one.
- by Elizabeth Knight
Remaking BHP: the chairman and the $64 billion deal
Ken MacKenzie likely has just over two years left as BHP’s chair. A mega-deal with Anglo American would shape the legacy he leaves at the Big Australian.
- by Anne Hyland
BHP says Anglo American shareholders must decide merger fate
BHP boss Mike Henry has thrown down the gauntlet to Anglo American’s shareholders, after the London-based miner rejected the Australian giant’s latest takeover offer.
- by Simon Johanson
Opinion
Opinion
Diamonds for sale: Inside the plan to crash BHP’s $64 billion party
Anglo American chief Duncan Wanblad has shown his hand as the company tries to fight off BHP. His Plan B looks a lot like BHP’s Plan A.
- by Stephen Bartholomeusz