Last week, giddy after Piggy’s last-minute bacon-saver at Watford, I allowed myself to write hopefully that a “qualification-clinching evening against PSV would cap five days of United hugely cheering us all up”. Sigh. When will I ever learn?

Private equity firms are circling Bayer’s €10bn plastics business, hoping to divert the German drugmaker from its plan to list the division, two people familiar with the matter said yesterday.

Warranties specialist Domestic & General has been snapped up in a £750 million joint takeover by private equity firm CVC and its own management.

Cahir-based pattissière Julia Finke remembers times past making Advent wreaths and baking biscuits and cakes for Christmas

DCC has bought a British-based distributor of electronic office supplies in a deal which could cost up to €17.5m. The company is to pay an upfront charge of €11.9m in cash for 100% of Advent Data.

Business support services group DCC this morning said it had acquired UK-based electronic office supplies distributor Advent.

A chain of private UK rehab clinics best known for helping wean celebrities off their addictions has been sold to private equity in a deal worth up to £925m (€1.1bn), it was announced today.

Royal Bank of Scotland today sold a majority stake in the UK's biggest credit card payment firm.

THE widow of a former associate of both Denis O’Brien and Michael Lowry has been called to give evidence to the Moriarty Tribunal today.

THE widow of a former associate of both Denis O’Brien and Michael Lowry has been called to give evidence to the Moriarty Tribunal today.

A woman accused of hiring a hitman to kill her partner and his two sons has denied writing the emails that plotted the killing.

A computer from the business office of a man whose partner is accused hiring a former Las Vegas poker dealer to kill him and his two sons had been used to search for hitmen on the Internet a Central Court Jury has heard.

Banking giant Lloyds TSB sold part of its business to a private equity firm today in a deal worth £550m (€803m).

Specialist Lloyd’s insurer Advent has announced an after-tax profit of £15.4m (€23m) for 2006, compared with a loss before tax of £74.8m (€111.5m) the previous year.

DAYS before Esat Digifone got the licence to run the country’s second mobile phone network in May, 1996, Norwegian executives feared businessman Denis O’Brien would use his Dermot Desmond connection to gain control of the consortium, the Moriarty Tribunal heard yesterday.

ESAT Digifone would never have signed the country’s second mobile phone licence if the Department of Communications was unhappy financier Dermot Desmond had come on board, entrepreneur Denis O’Brien told the Moriarty Tribunal yesterday.

ANTI-BIN charge protesters received a solicitor’s letter threatening legal action an hour after announcing they would picket Dublin Castle to coincide with the appearance of businessman Denis O’Brien before the Moriarty Tribunal yesterday.

GIVEN the escalation seen in private equity buying in the retail sector in Britain over the past 12 months, it was interesting this week to see Advent, the private equity firm, sell its 7.8% holding in the HMV Group.

Thirty million shares in HMV Group PLC were placed on behalf of Advent Venture Capital firm by UBS and Citigroup Smith Barney overnight, a spokesperson for HMV said.

THERE was no suggestion from evidence made available to the tribunal that former Communications Minister Michael Lowry interfered with the Government committee that selected the winner of the country’s second mobile telephone licence, Mr Justice Michael Moriarty said yesterday.

EMI says it's going to sell part of its 42.7% stake in HMV Media Group after it floats in June.