Peel makes Pinewood Shepperton bid

North West property giant Peel Holdings has made a takeover approach for Pinewood Shepperton, the studios where films such as the latest Harry Potter film and the James Bond franchise were shot. Peel, which is already Pinewood's largest shareholder with a stake of 29.78 per cent, has offered 190p per share. The bid values the company at £87.8m although analysts are predicting the company may have to up its offer if it wants to secure the deal.

Matalan completes £300m refinancing

Discount retailer Matalan has secured a £300m financial package that includes a Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets-led syndicated bank facility and a high-yield bond.

IS Pharma agrees £16m funding deal

Clydesdale Bank has provided a £16m senior funding package to support pharmaceutical companies IS Pharma and Sinclair Pharma. They are planning to join forces to create Sinclair IS Pharma.

Roked refuels with NatWest investment

Independent petrol station operator Roked Filling Stations has invested £650,000 to double the size of its main site after securing funding from NatWest.

Carr's buoyed by profit rise

First-half pre-tax profits have increased by almost 50 per cent at Carr's Milling Industries, the Carlisle-based agriculture, food and engineering group.

Private sector output on the rise

The North West was one of the best performing UK regions in March, with private sector output accelerating to its fastest rate for ten months, according to figures published this morning.

Speedy hails second-half as it heads for "marginal" loss

Merseyside plant hire specialist Speedy Hire this morning said it continues to expect a "marginal" adjusted loss before tax for the year to 31 March 2011. The company posted a loss before tax of £22.8m last year.

Outsourcery ‘more focused’ after Vodafone sale

Outsourcery’s joint chief executive Piers Linney has told Insider that the £12m sale of the company’s Vodafone mobile voice and data business to Daisy Group will allow it to focus on its unified communications offer.

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Contractors selected for One St Peter’s Square

The final three contractors for the One St Peter’s Square building contract in Manchester city centre have been shortlisted by the Greater Manchester Property Venture Fund and its joint venture development partner Argent.

Savills declares “first mover advantage” window

Consultancy Savills has predicted that headline office rents in Manchester will reach £30 per sq ft this year as the city’s supply of grade A space is squeezed further.

Derwent Forest developer selected

Derwent Forest Developments Consortium has been named as the preferred developer for the site of a former munitions depot at Broughton Moor in West Cumbria.

Talking Point: Street fighter FD

Derrick Watson, director of Manchester-based financial recruitment specialist Watson Moore, believes that post-recession streamlining spells the end of the proverbial man in the grey suit and the rise of the ‘Street Fighter’ finance director.

Tague on Tour: A crane, a crane, my kingdom for a crane

Neil Tague has been attending DJD's annual crane survey this week, and found that despite the lack of obvious activity, Manchester's property community are cautiously optimistic.

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