Week in Review: Facebook, Dell, and Bloomberg Reporters

Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of Facebook’s IPO. Although the offering left investors displeased — and created a veritable black hole in the IPO market — there is hope that the IPO market is on the mend. Not only have many investors forgotten about Facebook, but IPOs are set to raise more money. Both Marketo (NASDAQ: MKTO) and Tableau (NASDAQ: DATA) went public this morning and, as of this writing, have seen 50% gains. If Hong Kong is any example, there may be hope yet for IPOs in the US markets.

In other news, Dell took a serious hit this week, Wall Streeters were spooked to learn that Bloomberg journalists may have access to some sensitive data, and Yahoo has acquired 10 companies since Marissa Mayer became CEO.

Dell’s Profit Dives as Billionaire Battle Rages On: Yesterday was a roller coaster for Dell. Early in the day, T. Rowe Price — Dell’s second largest shareholder — sold 10.26 million shares. Just a few hours later, Dell announced its earnings — and the 79% slide in profits. The timing seems good (almost too good) for T. Rowe Price. Did they have breakfast with any Bloomberg journalists yesterday?

Some are beginning to wonder whether Silver Lake will even stay in the deal. Could Michael Dell float the entire MBO on his own?

Wall Street Traders are Freaked by Bloomberg Message Leak: Earlier this week, it came to light that Bloomberg News journalists have access to some potentially sensitive data. While Bloomberg has confirmed that its journalists have access to log-in history, there are questions around chat history, help room questions, and other pieces that could be combined into an interesting puzzle. There is a chance that more and more traders will become grey dotters.

Families Edging Out Private Equity in Consumer Deals: Family-run investment firms are making their presence known in the consumer industry. Many European family offices — including Maxingvest, Verlinvest, and Joh A. Benckiser — have made plays for large consumer deals, emphasizing their long-term investment strategy as a value-add. Joh A. Benckiser has been stirring up the consumer space for some time, with plays for Jimmy Choo and Avon in recent years. Whether the trend is confined to the consumer space only remains to be seen — as some don’t see PE and family offices as direct competitors.

Yahoo Has Now Acquired 10 Startups Since Marissa Mayer Became CEO: You might be tempted to call Marissa Mayer a shopaholic. Since taking the helm at Yahoo, she has completed 10 acquisitions. Needless to say, the speed and aggressiveness of her actions have raised some eyebrows, especially since Yahoo has a poor track record of acquisitions. If these are secretly acqui-hires, Mark Suster would be concerned.

Did you hear?

• Vikram Pandit is getting back in banking
• JPMorgan Banker Says Revenue Up as M&A Lags
• PEGCC finds PE Activity Slowed in Q1
• David Rubenstein Plots Top 10 Seismic Shifts in Private Equity
• Facebook might buy Tumblr (so that Yahoo can’t)
• Formula One’s $12 billion IPO on track

Member Spotlight:

Last week, HT Capital Advisors announced it has successfully advised Rollo Mio Artisan Bakery in a recapitalization and strategic partnership with Kuzari Group.”Kuzari brings strong operational capabilities and strategic relationships to a very well-run family business, which has grown, and now caters to a very important segment of the tri-state area marketplace for fine artisan breads,” says Steve Rathbone of HT. Kuzari and HT were first introduced on the Axial Network

HT Capital Advisors is a private investment-bank specializing in domestic and cross border middle market mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations, management buyouts, and other financial advisory services. Headquartered in NYC, HT has advised on transactions in a wide variety of industries including consumer products, manufacturing,business services and many distribution segments.

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 Thanks to Guillaume Paumier for the photo.