Seen & Heard

US investment fund Varde Partners

is in exclusive negotiations with Lloyds Bank to buy the Spectrum portfolio of shopping centres, reports the Sunday Times. Varde could pay in the region of €150 million for the malls, which include the Bloomfield Centre in Dún Laoghaire, the Douglas shopping centre in Cork, Quayside in Sligo and the Dundalk Retail Park.

Mars criticises charter reach The Sunday Times also reports that Mars Capital, an unregulated UK mortgage company that is buying up Irish loan books, has criticised proposals to make companies like it subject to consumer protection charters. Mars has told the Department of Finance it would be "inappropriate" to make it subject to the rules because it does not engage in new lending in Ireland.

Green flips 'Telegraph' block
Green Property, which owns the Blanchardstown shopping centre, has "flipped" the London office block that houses the Telegraph newspapers for €265 million, according to the Sunday Independent.

Irish Rail funding

The Sunday Business Post reports Irish Rail chief executive David Franks said the company needs €100 million a year more in funding to prevent it going bust or having to cut services. He told the paper a deal with unions and the Government needs to be reached before the end of the year.

Newstalk valuation

The Post also reports that Newstalk, the radio station controlled by Denis O’Brien’s

Communicorp, is worth between €23.5 million and €35 million, according to a valuation by BDO.