>>>Potash Corp could increase stakes in four companies to gain control

Potash Corp could increase stakes in four companies to gain control

Potash Corp of Saskatchewan (NYSE, TSE:POT) is weighing the possibility of taking control of four businesses in which it presently holds minority interests, according to CEO Jochen Tilk in a newswire report.

Reuters cited Tilk as saying that Saskatoon, Saskatchewan-based Potash Corp is assessing investments valued at USD 4.5bn in Chile's SQM, Israel's Israel Chemicals, China's Sinofert Holdings and Jordan's Arab Potash.

According to the article, Tilk explained that the goal is to gain "some control or participation in the" businesses. He said that Potash Corp sees "them as opportunities" but knows that it cannot remain "minority" investors "forever unless" it has "a plan going forward."

In the article, Tilk added, however, that he is satisfied with the influence that the company has at Sinofert and Arab Potash.

Tilk said that Potash Corp has not arrived at any decision yet and that it will not move forward without first discussing the matter with the businesses involved.

According to the report, Potash Corp under then CEO Bill Doyle made a failed attempt to acquire control of Israel Chemicals. Israeli government, which owns a golden share in Israel Chemicals, rejected the Canadian company's overtures in 2013, noted the report.

>>> BlackBerry CEO sees deals with Chinese bidders unlikely due to government sc

BlackBerry CEO sees deals with Chinese bidders unlikely due to government scrutiny
BlackBerry Ltd. (NASDAQ:BBRY) will have little success closing a deal with a Chinese entity, the company's chief executive noted, according to a newswire report.

CEO John Chen told Bloomberg that he didn't think Western governments would allow such a deal to go through because they rely on the company's phones. In the interview, Chen downplayed previously reported rumors that Lenovo Group Ltd. would make a bid for the Canada-based mobile phone maker.

"We probably are unable to do that," Chen noted. "One of our biggest install bases is government in the so-called Five Eyes countries where governments share intelligence. I think there will be a lot of regulatory issues and concerns."

Although Chen has publicly mentioned potential deals with Chinese firms in the past, according to the report, no such deals are currently being seriously considered.

(BFW) Oi Poised to Approve Altice’s EU7.4b Offer for Portuguese Assets

Oi Poised to Approve Altice’s EU7.4b Offer for Portuguese Assets
2014-12-04 20:05:27.911 GMT


By Robin Stringer
Dec. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Oi poised to approve offer at board
meeting today, people familiar tell Bloomberg’s Cristiane
Lucchesi, Christiana Sciaudone and Matthew Campbell.
* Announcement could come as soon as today, the people said,
asking not to be named because matter is confidential
* Cos. in exclusive talks Dec. 1 after Altice’s offer was
raised, putting it ahead of a rival bid by Apax Partners
LLP, Bain Capital
* Buy would be 2nd multibillion-dollar deal this yr for
Patrick Drahi
* For Rio de Janeiro-based Oi, sale will give it proceeds to
use to pare its more than $18b in debt, to take part in
consolidating Brazil
* Representative for Oi confirmed board meeting being held
today, declined to comment further

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To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Robin Stringer at +1-212-617-2526 or
rstringer7@bloomberg.net

>>> COV/MDT spoke to COV IR re High Court dates for approval


COV IR saying possible but not assured that they can go into court on January 12th (first day back for high court), may have to wait until 19th and then two week notice period and back again to court. We (OG) are thinking that now that they have gotten the regulatory approvals in hand they can apply to court for the hearing on the 12th, but we will have to see if it is granted, otherwise would probably be on the 19th.

(Fortune) Uber files to sell $1.8 billion of new stock

Uber’s new fundraising goal is is even larger than previously reported.

On-demand car company Uber today filed in Delaware to authorize up to $1.8 billion of new Series E preferred stock. The document was first spotted by VCExperts, which says that Uber’s valuation could hit $40 billion if all of the authorized shares are issued.

This is the same valuation that Bloomberg reported late last month, although that story only said that Uber was seeking to raise “at least $1 billion.” Prior to this new round, the San Francisco-based company had raised around $1.5 billion, including a $1.2 billion round just this past summer led by Fidelity Investments at a $17 billion pre-money valuation.

It is unclear if Uber has finalized the Series E raise, which is separate from a large convertible debt offering that Uber currently is selling to high-net-worth clients of Goldman Sachs (apparently without having to pay normal Wall Street fees). Word is that, if the Series E raise isn’t done, it’s extremely close.

An Uber spokeswoman declined to comment.

(Fortune) Uber files to sell $1.8 billion of new stock

Uber’s new fundraising goal is is even larger than previously reported.

On-demand car company Uber today filed in Delaware to authorize up to $1.8 billion of new Series E preferred stock. The document was first spotted by VCExperts, which says that Uber’s valuation could hit $40 billion if all of the authorized shares are issued.

This is the same valuation that Bloomberg reported late last month, although that story only said that Uber was seeking to raise “at least $1 billion.” Prior to this new round, the San Francisco-based company had raised around $1.5 billion, including a $1.2 billion round just this past summer led by Fidelity Investments at a $17 billion pre-money valuation.

It is unclear if Uber has finalized the Series E raise, which is separate from a large convertible debt offering that Uber currently is selling to high-net-worth clients of Goldman Sachs (apparently without having to pay normal Wall Street fees). Word is that, if the Series E raise isn’t done, it’s extremely close.

An Uber spokeswoman declined to comment.