A group of Australian business executives has reportedly tabled an offer to buy eircom for the equivalent of €95m.

EIRCOM is on the hunt for a new chief executive, following the announcement last night of the resignation of the current incumbent, Rex Comb.

The chief executive of aircraft leasing company Babcock & Brown, Colm Barrington, is to become the new chairman of Aer Lingus.

Australian investment firm Babcock & Brown, who own eircom through a subsidiary company, had their shares suspended yesterday amid concerns about its financial health.

BABCOCK & BROWN has denied reports that it will sell Eircom, its Irish telecoms subsidiary within the year.

Australian investment bank Babcock & Brown has confirmed that it plans to meet its lenders in the coming days following a fall in its share values.

Royal Bank of Scotland today struck a £3.6bn (€4.5bn) deal to sell the UK’s biggest train leasing company.

The London market broke a three-day losing streak today after property and retail stocks enjoyed a return to investor favour.

Property and retail shares rallied today as investors clung to much-needed positive news from both sectors.

The owner of seven commercial UK ports attracted takeover speculation today after it was confirmed an Australian firm held 20% of the company.

A&L Goodbody handled deals worth €9.3 billion in 2006. The company was also ranked the top law firm in Ireland for global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity, according to a Thomson Financial survey published yesterday.

BABCOCK & BROWN GPT European Retail Fund Limited announced IPO offer price range of €15.20 to €17.00 per ordinary share.

DAVID McRedmond, Eircom’s commercial director is to quit the company.

Eircom today confirmed Rex Comb as its new chief executive officer.

The second quarter of 2006 was one of the most active for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) involving Irish companies, both in terms of the value and number of deals, the second quarter M&A Tracker survey by corporate finance firm Ion Equity revealed today.

The ISEQ capped a dire day today with a 148.9 point slump to see the index stand at 7,361.81 by the end of the day's trading.

The ISEQ endured a miserable morning today, dropping 90.27 points to 7,420.44 by 12.15pm.

EIRCOM directors stand to make €7.8 million from the sale to Babcock & Brown.

INCOMING Eircom executive chairman Pierre Danon said there was no point in getting involved in the blame game over Ireland’s low level of broadband take-up.

THE takeover of Eircom by Babcock & Brown is the latest in a series of ownership changes.

EIRCOM’S current and former employees are likely to get windfall payments later this year from the sale of their stake in the company.

The ISEQ index of Irish shares made up for some of yesterday's losses, rising 149.34 points to 7510.71, by the end of day's trading.

The ISEQ index of Irish shares has bounced back from yesterday's loss of over 200 points, rising 130.97 to 7492.34 by 2.30 pm this afternoon.

Australian finance house Babcock and Brown has joined forces with the eircom Employee Share Ownership Trust (ESOT) to make a long-anticipated €2.4bn offer for eircom.

The Communications Workers Union said this afternoon that it would do all it could to block the sale of eircom unless it receives assurances on staff pay and conditions.

The possible takeover of eircom by an Australian investment firm is set to dominate the biennial conference of the Communications Workers Union in Cork today.

The ISEQ fell 45.43 points to 7811.1 today.

The Australian investment company Babcock & Brown has increased its stake in eircom.

The ISEQ fell 41.58 points this morning to stand at 7829.28 at 10.30am.

THE sudden injection of energy into the Government’s lumbering bid to privatise Aer Lingus has been greeted, inevitably, by growing concern from the trade unions.

Shares in eircom slipped 1c to €2.20 despite the annoucement that Australian company Babcock & Brown Capital has moved closer to making a bid for eircom.

The Australian company Babcock & Brown Capital has moved closer to making a bid for eircom.

EIRCOM has reported a fall in third-quarter profits despite newly-acquired mobile arm Meteor adding more than 100,000 customers.

Forth Ports said today it was on course to meet its expectations after a significant improvement in trading during the second half of the year.

Australian infrastructure firm Babcock & Brown looked set to land PD Ports today after a rival suitor refused to get involved in a bidding war.

A takeover of British ports operator PD Ports was under threat today following the emergence of a second approach from Australia.

FINANCIAL services provider IFG announced yesterday that former GPA high flyer, Colm Barrington, has joined the board as a non executive director.

Crisis-hit engineering group Jarvis, which is involved in a number of Public Private Partnership projects in Ireland, has sold a mobile phone mast company as part of a strategy to dispose of non-core businesses, it announced tonight.