£5.7bn — That figure appears twice in today's deal sheet. Apollo slapped that exact valuation on easyJet to crash a rival bid, while DCC's founder is furiously telling shareholders his company is being sold for the same number "on the cheap." UK plc has never looked more like a buffet.

Money Moves

• easyJet gets a bidding war it didn't ask for — Apollo gatecrashed Castlelake's agreed takeover with a £5.7bn all-cash offer at 714p a share, an **80%...