Here are the top reads on deals and financial services over the last week,
Dye & Durham raises IPO target by 50 per cent amid strong demand: Legal software provider Dye & Durham Corp. has increased the size of its planned initial public offering by 50 per cent after receiving strong demand from investors keen to buy into the soaring Canadian technology sector. (Sean Silcoff)
Cirque du Soleil says creditors expected to launch a new takeover bid next week: Cirque du Soleil says it expects its main lenders to make a new bid for the company next week, which would shift the balance of power in the insolvency battle decisively toward the creditors from the shareholders. (Nicolas Van Praet and Jeffrey Jones)
Fairfax Africa to merge with Britain’s Helios under asset-management model: The Africa-focused subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. announced plans on Friday to merge with U.K.-based private equity firm Helios Holdings Ltd., in a transaction that will bring new leadership and a different business model to Fairfax Africa Holdings Corp. after several years of underperformance. (Mark Rendell)
Report on AIMCo losses blames risk-management lapses and inadequate oversight: Alberta’s public-sector investment manager has suffered from a poor approach to risk management and insufficient oversight, which led to its $2.1-billion loss on derivatives trading, an investigation by the Crown corporation’s board of directors has concluded. (Jeffrey Jones)
Liberal heavyweight Greg Sorbara part of rival Torstar bid; shares jump as company confirms second offer: Ontario Liberal heavyweight Greg Sorbara is part of a new bid to buy Torstar Corp., The Globe and Mail has learned. Torstar’s B shares jumped 16 per cent Thursday after the company confirmed a Globe and Mail report that the owner of The Toronto Star had received a takeover offer valued higher than its friendly deal struck with NordStar Capital LP in May. (Sean Silcoff and Jeffrey Jones)
Ontario municipalities investing abroad after rule change: A group of Ontario municipalities has begun pooling investments and buying international securities, the first local governments in the province beyond Toronto to take advantage of a rule change allowing municipalities to diversify their portfolios into non-Canadian products. (Mark Rendell)
RBC boosts target for visible minorities in executive roles to 30 per cent: Royal Bank of Canada is raising its target for visible minorities in executive roles to 30 per cent while also boosting support for young people of colour and Black entrepreneurs. The new commitments comes as the bank’s chief executive acknowledged that systemic racism has been a blind spot in its efforts to promote diversity. (James Bradshaw)
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