We start this month's round-up with news of a bid at just shy of a 50% premium for oil and gas exploration company I3 Energy (I3E:AIM) from US-listed Gran Tierra Energy (GTE:NYSEAMERICAN).The US firm, which has a market cap of $260 million, is paying roughly $225 million or £174 million for the UK company through a combination of cash and shares.I3 Energy operates in the Western Canadian Sediment

49% premium to undisturbed share priceDirectors unanimously recommend offeri3 shareholders to receive cash dividendCanadian oil and gas producer i3 Energy's (I3E:AIM) shares surged 25% higher to 12p on Tuesday morning after the board recommended a £174 million takeover by Toronto-listed Gran Tierra Energy (GTE:TSE) following a period of poor share price performance.While the offer represents a de

With more than 155m subscribers New York-listed Verizon Communications is America's second biggest mobile phone network and its rough $232bn market value ranks it 21st in the S&P 500.It covers more of the US than any rival and its network is widely seen as the best quality available in its market. It has the widest 4G network, for example, covering an estimated 300m people.Unfortunately 2019 has b

Cyber security company NCC (NCC) has had to come clean that its previous confidence on recovering a profit shortfall from losses and delays of several contracts in the core IT assurance division is too much of a stretch. The company admits that it will not now be able to make-up the gap which has become 'too significant to fill in the second half.' Shares suggested what looked like a missed opport

Investors understandably eye with envy the billion dollar-plus valuations placed on start-up technology companies that have yet to list on any exchange, and in some cases haven't even turned a profit. These so-called unicorns - the likes of Uber, Airbnb and Dropbox - are the poster children for venture capital (VC), a world of big money investment closed off to the hoi polloi.But never mind the ra

Mobile gaming developer Nektan (NKTN:AIM) is preparing to join AIM but we fear that the shares could become a value trap like sector peer Probability with long-run losses and multiple fund raises seemingly likely.Nektan is the brainchild of online gambling entrepreneur Gary Shaw, the man who set-up online gaming for bookmaker Victor Chandler and sold his white label gaming company St Enodoc to GTE

Holiday Inn-to-Staybridge Suites owner InterContinental Hotels (IHG) dips 4.9% to £19.47 despite full-year resultsbeating expectations. A 9% hike in the dividend is pleasing yet investors may be put off by 2014 capital expenditure guidance of $350 million which is approximately 20% higher than analyst forecasts. This is being partly funded by the saleof a hotel in San Francisco for $120 million.