Viridian Group Ltd — Northern Ireland’s largest energy supplier — hired Macquarie Group Ltd to advise on its bid for the retail and power generation unit of Irish state-owned gas company Bord Gáis, people with knowledge of the matter said.

London’s Stansted airport has attracted three final bids each worth about £1bn (€1.2bn), according to sources.

Petroneft Resources — the Irish exploration company with a focus on the Russian market — has successfully raised $17.25m (€13.3m) via a share placing with institutional and other investors.

The President of the High Court has cut by 20% the fees sought by the joint administrators of Quinn Insurance Ltd (QIL).

Treasury Holdings has been granted a preliminary High Court hearing, for this morning, challenging a move by Nama to appoint receivers to a number of its Irish-based properties following the non-repayment of the company’s loans to the agency.

ROYAL Bank of Scotland, Britain’s biggest government-owned bank, has received bids for its Dublin-based aircraft-leasing operation from commercial lender CIT and Jackson Square Aviation, according to sources.

FIORDLAND, the biggest shareholder at financial services group IFG, will make a significant profit on its initial investment should a €231 million takeover prove successful.

THE administrators of Quinn Insurance are to be paid more than €1.7 million in fees for the first three months of the year.

A joint venture by Anglo Irish Bank and US Liberty Mutual has been identified as the preferred bidders for the Quinn Insurance Ltd, the High Court heard today.

Irish oil and gas exploration and production company Petroneft has today announced a 36.8% increase in assessed reserves.

QUINN family representatives are confident that their development plan for Quinn Insurance will win out against a rival joint Anglo Irish Bank/Liberty Mutual bid, under the new government.

ANGLO Irish Bank has formally joined the race to take control of Quinn Insurance (QIL) by lodging an expression of interest ahead of yesterday evening’s bid deadline.

A PRO-QUINN Insurance (QIL) lobby group has called on the Government to endorse a bailout proposal for the business, which would see Anglo Irish Bank take over the business and re-finance the debt which it is owed.

INTERNATIONAL financial services company State Street is understood to be interested in acquiring Bank of Ireland Asset Management (BIAM), although an execution of the deal is not anticipated in the short-term.

THE names of four international consortia bidding to win the lucrative multi- million euro contract to build an underground rail interconnector for Dublin have been announced.

THE latest report from the joint administrators of Quinn Insurance has declared it is “business as usual” while they continue to retain merchant bankers to advise them on any prospective sale of the group.

It will not be necessary to invoke any involuntary compulsory redundancies at Quinn Insurance, it was announced today, following the receipt of applications for voluntary redundancy.

PRO-Quinn Insurance (QIL) lobbyists have proposed the issuing of a Government bond as a way of raising the funding to facilitate its “return to normal trading”.

The High Court has granted Quinn Insurance and the administrators appointed to the group permission to retain the services of merchant bankers Macquarie Capital Europe to advise them in any prospective sale of the group.

The High Court has granted Quinn Insurance and the administrators appointed to the group permission to retain the services of merchant bankers Macquarie Capital Europe Ltd to advise them in any prospective sale of the group.

IRISH oil and gas exploration company Petroneft Resources is actively looking at potential acquisition opportunities in its core geographical market of Siberia in central Russia.

The wider FTSE 100 Index was virtually flat, down 1.3 points at 4277.2 after an uneventful session in New York.

Upbeat economic news from the US failed to drag London’s FTSE 100 Index out of the red today.

The FTSE 100 Index shed more than 2% today as markets reacted with initial disappointment to US economic rescue plans.

Richard Branson’s airline Virgin Atlantic today confirmed it was in talks to form a bidding consortium to run Gatwick airport.

Dame Clara Furse is planning to step down from her role as chief executive of the London Stock Exchange, it was reported today.

Richard Branson's airline, Virgin Atlantic, has said it would "relish" the chance to buy Gatwick Airport after heavily-criticised airport operator BAA put it up for sal today.

MACQUAIRE Bank has appointed Colin Hunt as division director, responsible for its Irish corporate advisory activities.

The Australian Stock Exchange today reportedly played down rumours it was eyeing Nasdaq's 31% stake in the London Stock Exchange.

An investment group backed by Irish tycoons JP McManus and John Magnier was today reported to be in talks to buy Chrysalis’s radio arm for up to £180m (€267m).

The takeover rumour mill is working overtime in Europe’s airline industry as the major players begin to jostle for top spot in a sector that is expected to see consolidation like never before.

New York’s Nasdaq today looked set to retain its stake in the London Stock Exchange, despite the crushing defeat for its £2.7bn (€4bn) takeover offer.

Shares in British Airways were boosted today after the airline reached agreement with its unions on plans to tackle a £2.1bn (€3.1bn) pensions deficit.

Strong gains by the mining sector and British Airways pushed the FTSE 100 Index through the 6200 mark today.

A surge by mining stocks today left the FTSE 100 Index within touching distance of a return to last month’s six-year high.

Australian national carrier Qantas Airways said today it had accepted a €6.7bn takeover offer from a private equity consortium including the country’s Macquarie Bank and the Texas Pacific Group.

Nasdaq set its hostile takeover of the London Stock Exchange (LSE) in motion today when it posted its £2.7bn (€4bn) offer to shareholders.

Yorkshire Water owner Kelda posted a 10.6% rise in profits today after an inflation-busting increase in household water bills.

The owner of amusement arcade chain Quicksilver plotted further expansion today after agreeing to a multi-million pound takeover from Australia.

A takeover approach by Thames Water owner Macquarie for Australian airline Qantas caused British Airways shares to surge by more than 2% today.

The Nasdaq bid to takeover the London Stock Exchange (LSE) turned hostile tonight after its £2.7bn (€4bn) bid was rejected.

New York stock exchange Nasdaq tabled a £2.7bn (€4bn) takeover bid for the London Stock Exchange (LSE) today.

Management at the London Stock Exchange stressed the takeover target was an “exceptionally valuable asset” today, as it banked bumper profits.