ACQUISITIONS.

 
ACQUISITIONS 
Bide Mergers and disponsals - week 
ending 08/07/01 
BIDDER                         TARGET 
ABN AMRO Private Equity        WH Smith's distribution 
Dutch private equity firm      division 
                               UK-based magazine 
                               distribution business 
                               Vendor: WH Smith 
Allied Domecq                  Bodegas y Vinedos 
UK-listed spirit and wine      Graffigna Limitada 
group                          + Vinedos y Bodegas 
FA: Goldman Sachs              Sainte Sylvle 
PR: Cardew & Co                Argentinean wine producing 
                               companies 
                               Vendor: Advent International, 
                               Galicia Advent 
AMP                            Interactive Investor 
Australian-listed pension,     International 
insurance and asset            UK-listed online provider of 
management company             investment management 
FA: Ernst & Young              services 
Corporate Finance              FA: Credit Suisse First Boston 
Acc: PricewaterhouseCoopeers   Acc: KPMG 
LF: Eversheds                  LF: Herbert Smith 
PR: Financial Dynamics         Br: Credit Suisse First 
                               Boston 
                               PR: Hogarth Partnership 
AT&T Wireless Services         Rogers Wireless 
US-listed wireless             Communications 
communications group           (from 19% to 34%) 
                               Canadian-listed wireless 
                               communications group 
                               Vendor: British Telecoms 
                               (approx 15%) 
                               FA: NM Rothschild & Sons 
                               and Rothschild Canada (to BT) 
Bank of Ireland                Willis National 
Irish-listed banking group     UK independent financial 
                               adviser 
                               Vendor: Willis Group; Abbey 
                               National 
                               FA: KPMG Corporate 
                               Finance (to Willis National) 
                               LF: DLA (to Willis National) 
Baron Corporation              Euro System Projects 
UK AIM-listed developer,       UK developer and seller of 
supplier and installer of      software for the leisure 
computer systems together      industry 
with the maintenance of 
computer software 
Acc: BDO Stoy Hayward 
LF: Eversheds 
Br: Peel Hunt 
BP                             Tangguh LNG project 
UK-listed oil and gas group    (from 40% to 50%) 
FA: NM Rothschild & Sons       Indonesian gas exploration 
LF: In-house                   and production operations 
                               Vendor: Genting Berhad 
Centrica                       One.Tel UK 
UK-listed provider of gas,     UK indirect access telecoms 
electricity, motor breakdown   company 
services, financial services,  Vendor: One.Tel Ltd 
energy services and            FA: Ernst & Young 
telecommunications services    Corporate Finance 
LF: Ashurst Morris Crisp       LF: Baker & McKenzie (to 
                               One.Tel Ltd) 
BIDDER                         FINANCE 
ABN AMRO Private Equity        Value ([pound]m): 215.00 
Dutch private equity firm      Status: Agreed 
                               Type: Cash 
                               Employees: 4,500 
Allied Domecq                  Value ([pound]m): 30.50 
UK-listed spirit and wine      (US$m: 42.90) 
group                          Status: Agreed 
FA: Goldman Sachs              Type: Cash + debt 
PR: Cardew & Co                repayment 
                               Employees: 147 
AMP                            Value ([pound]): 52.70 
Australian-listed pension,     Status: Recommended 
insurance and asset            Type: Cash 
management company             Price (p): 30/share 
FA: Ernst & Young              Premium: 21.21% 
Corporate Finance              (based on JUly 2 2001) 
Acc: PricewaterhouseCoopeers   Premium: 30.43% 
LF: Eversheds                  (based on March 22 2001) 
PR: Financial Dynamics 
AT&T Wireless Services         Value ([pound]m): 269.00 
US-listed wireless             Status: Agreed 
communications group           Type: Cash 
Bank of Ireland                Value ([pound]m): 40.00 
Irish-listed banking group     Status: Agreed 
                               Type: Cash 
                               Employees: 300 
Baron Corporation              Value ([pound]m): 2.82 
UK AIM-listed developer,       Status: Agreed 
supplier and installer of      Type: New shares 
computer systems together      Max earnout ([pound]m): 0.28 
with the maintenance of        (9.93% of total value) 
computer software              Turnover ([pound]m): 1.15 
Acc: BDO Stoy Hayward          Gross profit ([pound]m): 0.68 
LF: Eversheds                  Op loss ([pound]m): 0.03 
Br: Peel Hunt                  Employees: 15 
                               (financials for year 2000) 
BP                             Value ([pound]m): 76.51 
UK-listed oil and gas group    (US$m: 107.00) 
FA: NM Rothschild & Sons       Status: Completed 
LF: In-house 
Centrica                       Value ([pound]m): 58.00 
UK-listed provider of gas,     Status: Completed 
electricity, motor breakdown   Type: Cash + debt 
services, financial services,  assumption 
energy services and            Turnover ([pound]m): 100 
telecommunications services    Employees: 600 
LF: Ashurst Morris Crisp       (expected financials for year 
                               ended June 30 2001) 
BIDDER                         DETAILS 
ABN AMRO Private Equity        WH Smith's distribution business 
Dutch private equity firm      includes Connect2U, a web-based 
                               communication and a customer 
                               service platform which links UK 
                               retailers, wholesalers, 
                               manufacturers and publishers. The 
                               sale is subject to successful 
                               transfer of distribution contracts 
                               and due diligence. The disposal 
                               is part of WH Smith's strategy of 
                               increasing investment in its retail 
                               businesses and making acquisitions 
                               in publishing. 
Allied Domecq                  Bodegbas y Vinedos Graffigna 
UK-listed spirit and wine      Limitada and Vinedos y Bodegas 
group                          Sainte Sylvle are expected to sell 
FA: Goldman Sachs              900,000 cases of wine in Argentina 
PR: Cardew & Co                in the year to June 30 2001, in 
                               addition to exports. The companies 
                               own 1,212 acres of land. Allied 
                               Domecq is acquiring the companies 
                               from the Advent International and 
                               Galicia Advent venture capital 
                               companies. Allied Domecq will fund 
                               the acquisition from existing 
                               facilities. This transaction 
                               follows the very recently announced 
                               acquisition by Alled Domecq of 
                               Buena Vista Winery in the US for 
                               $85.5m. 
AMP                            Interactive Investor is being 
Australian-listed pension,     acquired by the Australian group 
insurance and asset            AMP for [pound]49.95m in cash. In 
management company             addition, shareholders will be 
FA: Ernst & Young              entitled to an additional amount 
Corporate Finance              of up to 1.65p per share depending 
Acc: PricewaterhouseCoopeers   on the extent to which Intercative 
LF: Eversheds                  Investor's cash reserves exceed 
PR: Financial Dynamics         [pound]46m immediately prior to the 
                               data on which the offer is declared 
                  ...