Good evening, The S&P/ASX 200 fell for a third day in a row on Wednesday and is on track for its worst week since November 2018, amid warnings the coronavirus could turn into a pandemic. The local index has now lost 489 points since its February 20 peak and the spread of the virus shows no signs of slowing. However, amid all the gloom, there's some good news for listed car dealership giant AP Eagers, which reports its full-year results on Thursday. Street Talk can reveal that a local private equity firm has agreed terms with AP Eagers to buy its refrigerated logistics business, which it has been trying to sell since it merged with Automotive Holdings Group last year. The PE firm has financing locked in and an announcement is expected as early as Thursday. Meanwhile, shareholder advisory firm ownership matters has been digging through ASX-listed waste manager Bingo Industries' accounts and has stumbled across a cash flow error. We've got the report. Finally, unloved Kiwi telecommunications parts maker Rakon has been in talks with a local private equity firm about going private with the help of Credit Suisse's NZ affiliate Jarden. Happy reading, Sarah, Anthony and Tim. |