Morgan Stanley’s dance with private equity

They put their balance sheet in, they put their balance sheet out. Talk about Morgan Stanley doing the hokey-kokey with private equity

Only Altadis can stop this game of chicken

It has been 16 weeks since Altadis rejected Imperial Tobacco’s revised €47-a-share offer, and two weeks since the due diligence process ended. Yet, neither the UK tobacco group nor CVC, its rival suitor, has made a firm bid

Good quality deals will return

When financing deals are being postponed from Malaysia to the US, the immediate reaction from investors is to start shouting about a credit market meltdown

Allianz should stick to its knitting

The rumour that Allianz is about to sell Dresdner Kleinwort comes around once every two years. This time, it is being taken seriously

Gazprom has to stop playing silly games

Gazpromis playing a twisted psychological game with Britain’s energy companies.

Arcelor minorities prepare for a fight

Lakshmi Mittal believes no one can get past the steel doors of Arcelor Mittal. But Arcelor’s minority shareholders are about to batter them down.

High-risk strategy of hiring sprees

One of the more outlandish claims doing the rounds in the City is that John Studzinski spent $2.35bn on a recruitment rampage at HSBC during his three-year tenure as co-head of the bank’s corporate, investment banking and markets division.

The real deal

Rainmakers like nothing more than telling their clients they are relationship bankers – fiercely loyal creatures, dispensing impartial advice on deals.

Beware frenetic corporate activity

Russian roulette of bridge equity

Returns up 137% – must be time for a sell-off

Curse of phantom bids amid deal boom

It's time to stop a league table obsession