The following article was published on the 'This is Money' website:-
"Responding to growing speculation that a cash-rich private equity player could be about to climb aboard the Aberdeen-based bus and train operator, punters chased FirstGroup 7p higher to 111.9p in active trading.
Rumours of a cash bid in the region of 170p a share did the rounds as dealers took the view it could be possible now that the transport group’s balance sheet is a lot stronger following the recent heavily discounted £615million rights issue at 85p a pop.
FirstGroup saw an 87.6 per cent take-up by investors of the fund-raising, which came hard on the heels of the £80m sale of its London bus depots to Metroline.