Is an economic recovery underway?

A ‘crossover’ blog here, since most Business students will be spending at least some of their time thinking about the external environment that firms operate in. For most businesses, the dominating external issue has been the deep recession – a long period in which the UK economy has struggled. Analysis from The Economist suggests that the economy has taken so much damage we’re basically back to where we were in late 2003! A pretty depressing thought, but there are some signs that things might be picking up.

http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/economics-for-business-is-an-economic-recovery-underway#extended

Porter's 5 forces model

The Porter's Five Forces tool is a simple but powerful tool for understanding where power lies in a business situation. This is useful, because it helps you understand both the strength of your current competitive position, and the strength of a position you're considering moving into.

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_08.htm

Glenstrata - Glencore proposes merger with Xstrata

Yesterday morning’s business news has been dominated by the proposed merger of Glencore and Xstrata. Glencore’s 34% holding of Xstrata shares had made a third party approach for Xstrata very difficult if not impossible.
Xstrata bought coal mines from Glencore in 2001, and after going public in 2002, it grew by a series of acquisitions, including the purchase of the Canadian nickel producer Falconbridge in 2006. Although Xstrata had a market capitalisation of c. $50bn, Glencore’s market capitalisation was $45bn.

http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/glenstrata

ResearchBuster: Acquisitions

Our ResearchBuster blog posts are designed to help students identify and integrate examples of business strategy for their synoptic essays and exams. This ResearchBuster look at some of the most significant examples of takeovers / acquisitions in recent years…

http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/researchbuster-acquisitions#extended

Takeovers and Mergers - the Language of M&A

Students researching takeovers and mergers will come across some terminology which might not be familiar to them. Here are some key terms which are worth understanding and using when writing about M&A:

http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/takeovers-and-mergers-the-language-of-ma

Google’s takeover of Motorola Mobility is given regulatory seal of approval

Google’s biggest-ever takeover has been given approval by competition regulators in both the EU and USA, paving the way for the takeover to be legally completed.
Back in August 2011, Google announced a $12.5bn bid to buy Motorola’s mobile technology division. These videos outline the strategic rationale for the takeover:

http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/googles-takeover-of-motorola-mobility-is-given-regulatory-seal-of-approval

Tata and the rise of Jaguar Land Rover

The Tata takeover of Jaguar Land Rover (“JLR”) in 2008 is one of our five “must research” deals for the AQA BUSS4 research theme in 2012. And this recent article provides students with some compelling evidence about how successful the takeover has been for Tata, the private Indian conglomerate that is now the UK’s largest manufacturer. 

http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/tata-and-the-rise-of-jaguar-land-rover