Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.
What: Shares of music kingpin Warner Music Group
So what: The Times actually reported that Warner is pursuing a two-track process that could have it either sell itself or buy Britain's struggling EMI. Warner has hired Goldman Sachs
Now what: The article in the Times suggested that the push for a major change is coming from Warner's private equity backers -- a group that includes Thomas H. Lee, Bain Capital, and Providence Equity Partners. The firms have now been invested in Warner for longer than the typical private equity investment and may be looking for a way to shake things up and exit the investment. While the EMI deal seems like it could be a bit of a gamble, Warner -- as I noted back in November -- still has strong cash flow despite its accounting losses, and so it shouldn't be too surprising that it's attracting new private-equity interest.
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