logo
Mediobanca weighs postponing Monday's investor vote on Banca Generali, source says

Mediobanca weighs postponing Monday's investor vote on Banca Generali, source says

Reuters5 days ago

MILAN, June 15 (Reuters) - The board of Italy's Mediobanca (MDBI.MI), opens new tab is meeting on Sunday morning to consider postponing Monday's shareholder meeting to vote on its bid for Banca Generali (BGN.MI), opens new tab after some investors requested more information, a source close to the matter said.
Mediobanca in April proposed buying Banca Generali from insurer Generali (GASI.MI), opens new tab as Mediobanca itself seeks to stave off a buyout by Banca Monte dei Paschi (MPS) (BMPS.MI), opens new tab.
Due to the MPS bid and Italian corporate takeover rules, Mediobanca must secure shareholders' approval to pursue the Banca Generali deal.
Under the deal, Mediobanca has said it would sign a partnership agreement with Generali to distribute insurance and asset management products.
Italian tycoon Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone, a major shareholder in Mediobanca with a nearly 10% stake and also an investor in MPS, has criticised the industrial rationale of the Banca Generali deal and has called on Mediobanca's board to delay the shareholder vote until the partnership agreement with Generali is finalised.
The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said some other investors had praised the deal, but also requested more information on the potential partnership agreement.
Italian daily la Repubblica first reported the possible delay on Sunday.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Skoda students have turned this Superb Estate into a bike-carrying pickup truck
Skoda students have turned this Superb Estate into a bike-carrying pickup truck

Top Gear

time43 minutes ago

  • Top Gear

Skoda students have turned this Superb Estate into a bike-carrying pickup truck

Plug-in hybrid Superb becomes a ute with a clever bike rack and a sliding rear door to support pro bike racers Skoda loves cycling. Of course, the Czech firm started out with Václav Laurin and Václav Klement making bicycles all the way back in 1895, and in slightly more recent times it has been a main partner of the Tour de France for over two decades. So it's perhaps no surprise this year's concept car produced by the students of the Skoda Academy in Mladá Boleslav is a cyclist's dream support vehicle. Christened the Skoda L&K 130, this is the first Skoda student concept to be based on the Superb Estate, and the kids have turned it into a rad pickup style thing with space for two bikes on the racks in the extendable bed, and another on the roof.

Royal Mail boss quits after Czech billionaire's £3.6bn takeover
Royal Mail boss quits after Czech billionaire's £3.6bn takeover

Telegraph

timean hour ago

  • Telegraph

Royal Mail boss quits after Czech billionaire's £3.6bn takeover

Royal Mail's chief executive has quit weeks after a £3.6bn takeover by the Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky. Emma Gilthorpe, who took up the top job just more than a year ago, stepped down from the role this week. She has been replaced on an interim basis by Alistair Cochrane, the chief operating officer. Ms Gilthorpe joined Royal Mail from Heathrow Airport in a newly created role reporting to Martin Seidenberg, the chief executive of parent company International Distribution Services (IDS). Before this she held senior roles at telecoms companies including Cable & Wireless and BT's Openreach. Her departure marks the latest leadership upheaval at Royal Mail, which has had five chief executives in the last six years. Earlier this month, the company said a host of IDS non-executive directors would be leaving the business, including Keith Williams, its chairman. The boardroom shake-up underscores efforts by Mr Kretinsky to stamp his mark on Royal Mail after closing a controversial deal to take control of the company. The takeover by Mr Kretinsky's EP Group marks the first time the postal service has fallen into foreign ownership in its 500-year history. The billionaire, who agreed to a number of legally binding undertakings to allay concerns about the deal, has also hired Greg Hands, the former Tory minister, as an adviser. Mr Hands will provide counsel on market and regulatory developments in the UK and Germany. In addition to Royal Mail, EP UK owns a number of energy assets including a gas-fired power plant in Stallingborough and the South Humber Bank station, both in Lincolnshire. Royal Mail will now be seeking a new chief executive amid critical talks over the future of its universal service obligation (USO), which requires the company to deliver six days a week at a uniform price. Bosses have been lobbying for the rules to be watered down, arguing that outdated regulations have left it financially unsustainable amid a sharp decline in letter sending. Royal Mail, which lost £348m in the year to March 2024, has repeatedly missed delivery targets and is facing a potential Ofcom fine for the third consecutive year. The regulator has drawn up plans to allow Royal Mail to end second-class mail deliveries on alternate days and Saturdays and to water down its main delivery targets. However, the two sides are still in negotiations over additional service targets. EP Group is also locked in negotiations with the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents more than 100,000 postal workers, over pay and conditions, as well as guarantees on USO reform. The two sides have committed to reaching several key agreements by September, with further deals to be agreed by the end of the year. Mr Seidenberg said: 'Emma has worked tirelessly to drive forward Royal Mail's transformation and I would like to extend my personal thanks to her for the significant contribution she has made to the company. On behalf of everyone at Royal Mail and IDS, we wish Emma all the best for the future.'

BYD's new EV flash chargers are as fast as petrol pumps – here's when they're arriving in the UK
BYD's new EV flash chargers are as fast as petrol pumps – here's when they're arriving in the UK

The Independent

time2 hours ago

  • The Independent

BYD's new EV flash chargers are as fast as petrol pumps – here's when they're arriving in the UK

BYD isn't content with its EVs outselling Tesla, now it wants to take on the American electric car giant's Supercharger charging network with an even faster network of BYD megawatt super-fast chargers. Tesla's Supercharger network is one of the biggest reasons to buy a Tesla, thanks to exclusive use of the charging points for Tesla owners at some locations and the ease with which they work with Tesla models – they recognise the car and automatically bill the owner. There are currently over 60,000 Tesla Superchargers across the world, with the latest units able to add up to 200 miles of range in just 15 minutes at speeds up to 250kW. BYD announced earlier this year that it has developed its own super-fast charger, called a Flash Charger, that can charge EVs at up to 1MW (1,000kW). BYD says a Flash Charger can add 1.2 miles of charge every second and up to 249 miles-worth of charge in just five minutes, equalling the speed at which petrol cars are able to fill up. Speaking exclusively to The Independent at the launch of the new budget BYD Dolphin Surf electric car in London, BYD Special Advisor Alfredo Altavilla revealed that the first of these so-called Flash Chargers will be coming to the UK next year, while also saying that BYD was aiming to rival Tesla's Supercharger network. When asked when we will see the first Flash Charger in the UK, Altavilla said: 'In 2026. You will get a few stations in every country in Europe. They will be branded BYD, but they will be open to everybody.' Unlike Tesla Superchargers, Flash Chargers will be open to owners of any electric car. However, the fastest charging speeds will be unique to cars with the technology to accept megawatt charging. BYD's latest car tech, its Super e-Platform, features a 1,000V high-voltage architecture with a Flash Charging Battery. It will be available first in BYD's Han L and Tang L models that can now be ordered in China. In Europe and the UK the new Flash Charging Battery could debut in a new model from Denza, BYD's Porsche -rivalling upmarket brand. Altavilla told us that Denza models would debut BYD's latest tech across Europe, along with sports cars and SUVs from BYD's luxury brand Yangwang. 'The idea is for Denza and Yangwang to be the so-called technology manifesto of the BYD group,' said Altavilla. 'Those are the two brands where all new technologies will be firstly introduced. So, the flash charging for example.' Altavilla confirmed that the first Denza model, the Z9 GT saloon, will go on sale in the UK 'at the beginning of 2026.' The Z9 GT would be followed by an MPV, the D9, and then a number of SUVs. Denza models are likely to be sold through a unique network of dealers, or with existing BYD partners where those dealers had experience of selling premium models. Following the announcement of its Flash Chargers, BYD has been contacted by companies wanting to work on the technology with them and to help them build a network of super-fast chargers. 'The minute we made this public, we, and specifically I, started getting dozens of calls from all the companies in the space that want to become our partner in doing this together,' said Altavilla. 'To the extent that if we find the right partner, we'll do it with them. Otherwise, we'll do it on our own.' Altavilla was speaking at the launch of the new BYD Dolphin Surf in London, the brand's sixth new model to go on sale in a little over two years and also it's cheapest, starting at just £18,650.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store