View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. News
April 5, 2011

Analysts cast doubt on Daily Mail/Express merger

By admin

Reports that Daily Mail and General Trust held “informal” talks with Express Newspapers owner Richard Desmond about buying his newspapers have today been met with a good deal of scepticism from City analysts.

Analysts told the Telegraph that the proposal to buy a paper in decline ran counter to DMGT’s strategy of investing in B2B publishing and the Mail.

Lorna Tilbian, at Numis Securities, told the paper: “The last thing they are going to do is buy the Daily Express. They’ll just steal its readers.”

She then suggested that Trinity Mirror was a more obvious candidate to buy the Express, but said it would struggle to raise the funds for a purchase.

The future of Express Newspapers has come up in several reports in recent weeks. The Guardian claimed at the end of March that parent company Northern & Shell was open to offers for any of its print assets.

It came after Media Week reported last month that Desmond had hired Barclays Capital to examine the case for selling his magazine business, which includes OK! According to today’s Sunday Times, investment bank Goldman Sachs is also looking at options for the newspaper side of the company.

The Guardian’s media editor Dan Sabbagh was equally sceptical that such a deal was likely to take place, saying instead it seemed like Desmond might be playing a little game.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network