http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4c84f0ee-674b ... fd2ac.htmlArab ownership of U.S. stock exchange raises flag in Congress
In a complex set of transactions, Dubai is moving to acquire 19.9 percent of the Nasdaq in New York, placing the Arab government in an ownership position of the key U.S. stock exchange and raising concerns in Congress.
As a result of the transaction, Dubai also will acquire 28 percent of the London Stock Exchange, one of the oldest and largest in the world.
The transaction is being made through Borse Dubai, a holding company 100-percent owned by the government of the Emirate of Dubai and controlled by Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the head of the Dubai ruling family.
According to its website, Borse Dubai was created Aug. 6 as the holding company for Dubai Financial Market and Dubai International Financial Exchange in a move to consolidate the Dubai government's two stock exchanges "as well as current investments in other exchanges, expanding Dubai's position as a global capital market hub."
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f9bae8ba-679e ... fd2ac.htmlLondon Stock Exchange faces fresh bidding war
Nearly 50 per cent of the London Stock Exchange is now in the hands of two rival Gulf states battling to be their region’s leader in the global consolidation of exchanges.
Qatar Investment Authority and Borse Dubai now own 48 per cent of the LSE following a complex series of deals in which ownership of Europe’s exchanges is being realigned.
Borse Dubai secured 28 per cent of the LSE as part of a wider deal with the US-based Nasdaq designed to settle their long-running battle for control of the Nordic exchanges and technology operator OMX. The Dubai group bought most of Nasdaq’s 31 per cent stake in the LSE for £14.40 a share in cash. In return, it will take a 19.9 per cent stake in the combined Nasdaq/OMX group and receive cash.
However, the move enraged the Qatar Investment Authority, which until Tuesday night believed it was close to clinching a deal to buy much of the LSE stake for itself.
WTF? It's like these guys aren't out fighting wars and can just continue to grow or something... I don't like it one bit... What really gets my goat is that I pretty much believe our government on both sides is in bed with them.The Carlyle Group sells stake to Abu Dhabi
Carlyle agreed on Thursday to sell a 7.5 per cent stake in itself to an arm of Abu Dhabi’s government – the latest US private equity group to bring in a sovereign wealth fund as a big investor.
Blackstone sold a near 10 per cent stake in its management company to the Chinese government in May. A different arm of the Abu Dhabi government bought a stake in Apollo Management in July. Selling stakes to international sovereign wealth funds has become a popular way for US buy-out groups to cash in on their booming businesses while expanding their influence in new markets. The Carlyle deal demonstrates that the credit squeeze has not halted such transactions.
Mubadala, the arm of Abu Dhabi which has invested in sectors as diverse as Libyan oil exploration and Ferrari, the Italian motor company, is paying $1.35bn for the Carlyle stake.
The deal was struck at a 10 per cent discount to a valuation of $20bn for all of Carlyle. The Washington-based buy-out group agreed to guarantee a floor to Mubadala’s investment, pledging to compensate the arm of the oil-rich emirate if Carlyle goes public and the share price drops.
Ok so we'll do the port thing and deny it... then we can do the stock exchange routine and compare it to the ports deal... it's a no brainer! compromise, people!
