ACCC to toughen up on Takeover Approvals

Good Morning,

European shares gain on oil sector, earnings boost, New Plymouth legal tech firm liquidated owing $1.5m, PM calls for Barnaby Joyce to be sacked over 'bullet' comment, Lark Distilling director inches up to 19.5pc in equity raising, Genesis Capital ups bid in private equity battle for Pacific Smiles, Nissan cuts output at top Japanese plant

Let's jump in.

Before The Bell

Markets

• NZ sharemarket down 0.29% (GR)

• ASX climbs amid broad rally (AFR)

• European shares gain on oil sector, earnings boost (RT)

Earnings and Data

• Comvita chair 'extremely disappointed' as results slide (NBR)

• Cement ship repairs hit Fletcher profit outlook (NBR)

• Nissan cuts output at top Japanese plant (RT)

News Summary

• New Plymouth legal tech firm liquidated owing $1.5m (Stuff)

• ‘Botched merger’ or ‘manufactured crisis’? (Stuff)

• Record year for Financial Ombudsman service as complaints continue to rise (Stuff)

• Dalliance turns into debacle for lines company Electra (NBR)

• Record year for Milford Funds as performance fees rocket (NBR)

• Flights delayed after security breach at Adelaide Airport (9 News)

• Chaos in court as mum jailed over forced marriage (9 News)

• PM calls for Barnaby Joyce to be sacked over 'bullet' comment (9 News)

• Dealmakers face tougher ‘public benefit’ test on mergers (AFR)

• Labour must speed up wind power expansion or miss targets, says renewables industry (Guardian)

• Widely advertised hormone test unreliable as fertility prediction tool for women (Guardian)

• Girls as young as nine gang-raped by paramilitaries in Sudan (Guardian)

• Venezuela election: Maduro declared winner by government-controlled authority (Guardian)

• Japan and US upgrade military ties citing threat from China as ‘greatest strategic challenge’ (Guardian)

• Olive oil fraud and mislabeling cases hit record high in EU (Guardian)

Deal Flow

Investments / M&A

• Almost $2b of Fortescue shares hit the market in massive block trade (AFR)

• Vital Energy, Northern Oil and Gas buy Point Energy sell assets for $1.1 billion (RT)

• PEP bankers up for $1b-plus Guardian Childcare and Education (AFR)

• Meet the secretive US billionaires bidding for Fletcher’s Tradelink (AFR)

• The restructuring bigwig in line for the CFMEU gig (AFR)

• Genesis Capital ups bid in private equity battle for Pacific Smiles (AFR)

Equity Raises

• Lark Distilling director inches up to 19.5pc in equity raising (AFR)

Daily Picks

• State of Origin star Selwyn Cobbo questioned (9 News)

• Eurosport commentator gets the boot for sexist comment about Aussie swimmers (9 News)

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