Sue Ridgepipe
16th Nov 2004, 01:34
I know this is the domain of Wirraway, but couldn't see this one posted already.....
Tuesday "The Australian"
by Michael West
Word is the Virgin stock price has been taking off because a certain chap, with ties to David Bonderman and the team from Texas Pacific, has been sighted on the golf course with a certain dude from Virgin Blue.
Whether there's a bid in the works or a sale of Dick Branson's share, we know not. Dick would probably like to exit as his flair lies in start-ups. He's looking to start up in the US, and Ryanair has both the readies and the desire to expand.
Then again, Dick only has 25% and the blokes who started Ryanair like to buy bombed out assets for a ten-times gain on the turnaround, rather than a minority share in a semi-mature business doing okay in a duopoly. But, globally, some 50 low-cost carriers have sprouted up over the past 3 years and rationalisation is inevitable. As British Airways boss Roddy Eddington says there'll be a bloodbath in aviation this northern hemisphere winter. Stuff will happen.
Tuesday "The Australian"
by Michael West
Word is the Virgin stock price has been taking off because a certain chap, with ties to David Bonderman and the team from Texas Pacific, has been sighted on the golf course with a certain dude from Virgin Blue.
Whether there's a bid in the works or a sale of Dick Branson's share, we know not. Dick would probably like to exit as his flair lies in start-ups. He's looking to start up in the US, and Ryanair has both the readies and the desire to expand.
Then again, Dick only has 25% and the blokes who started Ryanair like to buy bombed out assets for a ten-times gain on the turnaround, rather than a minority share in a semi-mature business doing okay in a duopoly. But, globally, some 50 low-cost carriers have sprouted up over the past 3 years and rationalisation is inevitable. As British Airways boss Roddy Eddington says there'll be a bloodbath in aviation this northern hemisphere winter. Stuff will happen.