AN
another_beauty
Quote:
The board of BT Group is preparing to defend it against takeover approaches from industry rivals and buyout firms after the suspension of its dividend prompted its shares to slump to their lowest level in more than a decade.
Sky News has learnt that Britain's biggest telecoms group, which now has a market capitalisation of just £10.1bn, has asked bankers at Goldman Sachs to update its bid defence strategy in recent weeks.
Robey Warshaw, a boutique headed by two of the City's leading investment bankers and a long-standing adviser to Vodafone, may also be asked by BT to play a role, according to insiders.
Sources said this weekend that BT had not yet received a formal approach from any potential suitor.
Any such overtures would, if they materialised, be regarded as politically explosive, with BT having committed to funding a £12bn investment programme to roll out superfast fibre broadband to 20 million premises across Britain by the end of the decade.
It also occupies a critical role in constructing the 5G network in which Huawei Technologies, the Chinese telecoms equipment manufacturer, was last month banned from involvement.
The government does not own a golden share in BT, although the possibility of a takeover occurring on anything other than a friendly basis is remote.
Sky News has learnt that Britain's biggest telecoms group, which now has a market capitalisation of just £10.1bn, has asked bankers at Goldman Sachs to update its bid defence strategy in recent weeks.
Robey Warshaw, a boutique headed by two of the City's leading investment bankers and a long-standing adviser to Vodafone, may also be asked by BT to play a role, according to insiders.
Sources said this weekend that BT had not yet received a formal approach from any potential suitor.
Any such overtures would, if they materialised, be regarded as politically explosive, with BT having committed to funding a £12bn investment programme to roll out superfast fibre broadband to 20 million premises across Britain by the end of the decade.
It also occupies a critical role in constructing the 5G network in which Huawei Technologies, the Chinese telecoms equipment manufacturer, was last month banned from involvement.
The government does not own a golden share in BT, although the possibility of a takeover occurring on anything other than a friendly basis is remote.
https://news.sky.com/story/bt-group-board-on-alert-for-15bn-takeover-approaches-12054366
It seems BT may be taken over, I wonder will somebody like Vodafone or Virgin or even Sky themselves take over the company?
This would be very interesting in terms of TV, what would happen to the BT channels, would Sky be allowed to take them over? That would give them a massive foothold in the industry.
A German company may also be a possible buyer, I really hope BT stays British, even if the government have to re-nationalise it. Why must every aspect of British industry be sold abroad!
