LONDON (Reuters) – Standard Chartered is looking to sell its Swiss private bank as part of its plan to get rid of several non-core businesses as it sharpens its focus on Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The Asia-focused bank said in November it would sell or ... More »
PARIS (Reuters) – Swiss food group Nestle (NESN.VX ) is selling an 8 percent stake in L’Oreal (OREP.PA ) to the French cosmetics firm for 6.5 billion euros ($9 billion), loosening their 40-year partnership and allowing both firms to boost earnings per share. H... More »
(Reuters) – Contemporary women’s retailer Bebe Stores Inc (BEBE.O ) is exploring a potential sale and is reaching out to private equity firms, according to people familiar with the matter on Friday. The Brisbane, California-based company, known for its formfit... More »
(Reuters) – IBM Corp is exploring the sale of its semiconductor business and has hired Goldman Sachs to find potential buyers, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the matter. However, IBM is not committed to the idea of selli... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Irish entrepreneur Denis O’Brien’s media group Communicorp said it was buying eight British regional radio stations, branded “Smooth”, “Real” and “Capital”, from Global Radio, his first move into the industry in Britain. Competition authorit... More »
(Reuters) – Liberty Global and Discovery Communications have made a joint approach to CVC Capital about buying a 49 percent stake in Formula One, the Telegraph reported, without citing sources. The talks are at an early stage but could value the auto-racing co... More »
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N ) is increasing its investment in an upscale chain of fitness clubs founded by a Russian former fencer, betting lifestyle spending will grow despite an economic slowdown and slide in the rouble c... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Sony Corp and Chinese technology company Lenovo Group are in talks about a possible joint venture to take over Sony’s loss-making Vaio PC business overseas, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported on Saturday. The Japanese electronics and m... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Charter Communications Inc is discussing raising its bid for Time Warner Cable Inc as soon as in the next two weeks, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that could pressure its reluctant rival ahead of a proxy deadline. Ch... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Charter Communications Inc is discussing raising its bid for Time Warner Cable Inc as soon as in the next two weeks, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that could pressure its reluctant rival ahead of a proxy deadline. Ch... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. officials are likely to allow China’s Lenovo Group to buy IBM’s low-end server business and Google Inc’s Motorola Mobility handset business if it agrees to concessions aimed at protecting U.S. national security, experts said. Comput... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – Lenovo Group, the Chinese technology company that earns about 80 percent of its revenue from personal computers, is betting it can also be a challenger to Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Apple Inc in the smartphone market. On Wednesday, Leno... More »
NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Lenovo Group said on Wednesday it agreed to buy Google Inc’s Motorola handset division for $2.91 billion, in what is China’s largest-ever tech deal as Lenovo buys its way into a heavily competitive U.S. handset market dominat... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Pentagon has notified Congress of a possible sale of weapons and other equipment valued at $270 million that would be part of a larger, multibillion-dollar deal for 30 more F-16s that is still under discussion by Lockheed Martin Corp... More »
(Reuters) – Twenty-First Century Fox Inc said it would take control of Yankees Entertainment and Sports (YES) Network, by raising its stake to 80 percent from 49 percent. Twenty-First Century Fox, which first acquired its stake in YES Network in 2012, said the... More »
HANGZHOU/BEIJING (Reuters) – Billionaire Lu Guanqiu, a former blacksmith’s apprentice who built China’s biggest auto parts company, says he has an edge over a rival bid for bankrupt U.S. plug-in hybrid car maker Fisker Automotive, and would welcome ties with T... More »
(Reuters) – Lenovo Group Ltd is nearing an agreement to buy International Business Machines Corp’s low-end server business for $2-2.5 billion, a deal that would help the Chinese company counter the shrinking personal computers market, people familiar with the ... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Comcast Corp has added Barclays Plc as an adviser as it evaluates a potential deal for Time Warner Cable Inc, according to people familiar with the matter. Comcast, the top U.S. cable company, hired Barclays late last year to review its de... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – The owner of Britain’s Guardian newspaper has agreed to sell its 50.1 percent stake in cash-generative Trader Media Group to private equity firm Apax for around 600 million pounds ($985.2 million), the companies and sources said. Terms were ... More »
(Reuters) – International Business Machines Corp is thinking of selling off its low-end server business and Dell Inc may be among potential bidders, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources. A deal to sell all or part of the world’s largest technology ... More »
HONG KONG/BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Anheuser-Busch InBev SA, the world’s biggest brewer, agreed to buy back South Korea’s Oriental Brewery Co Ltd (OB) for $5.8 billion including debt, returning to a large Asian market at a time of strong industry growth across the ... More »
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Softbank Corp has entered direct talks with Deutsche Telekom as it seeks to combine its Sprint Corp unit with the German company’s T-Mobile US, Bloomberg reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter. Deutsche Telekom this we... More »
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Dropbox Inc has secured $250 million from a fund managed by BlackRock Inc and other investors in a new funding round that values the provider of online storage services at almost $10 billion, according to two people familiar with the ... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Any expansion by cable provider Comcast, including a deal with Charter Communications to split provider Time Warner Cable between them, would get a tough review from U.S. regulators, who might use the proposal to force Internet providers... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Charter Communications Inc, as it campaigns to win over investors in its bid to acquire Time Warner Cable, has suggested that a change in control could be a godsend to the often-disgruntled customers of Time Warner Cable. But if Charter is... More »
(Reuters) – Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N ) said on Thursday it will sell its ortho clinical diagnostics unit to private equity firm Carlyle Group (CG.O ) for $4.15 billion, a year after announcing it was considering spinning off or selling the slow-growing busines... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Charter Communications Inc reached out to Comcast Corp this week about teaming up to buy Time Warner Cable Inc, after the larger rival rejected its $37.3 billion takeover bid, according to people familiar with the matter. Charter approache... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A number of Time Warner Cable shareholders would support a merger with Charter Communications Inc if Charter raises its current bid for the larger rival to $41 billion or more, according to people close to the matter. Charter on Monday for... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Charter Communications Inc reached out to Comcast Corp this week about teaming up to buy Time Warner Cable Inc, after Time Warner Cable rejected its $37.3 billion buyout bid, according to people familiar with the matter. Charter approached... More »
(Reuters) – Charter Communications unleashed a verbal attack on Time Warner Cable on Tuesday, saying the cable operator’s executives had “failed” as Charter tried to rally investors to accept its bid. Charter’s top executives slammed Time Warner Cable for havi... More »
(Reuters) – Forbes Media, the company known for its namesake magazine and ranking the world’s richest people, has caught the attention of six different companies including Germany’s Axel Springer, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. Other interes... More »
(Reuters) – Charter Communications expects annual synergies of $500 million and other benefits such as tax savings from its proposed acquisition of Time Warner Cable, the company said in an investor presentation posted on its website Tuesday. The No. 4 cable o... More »
(Reuters) – Discovery Communications Inc and Scripps Networks Interactive Inc abandoned talks for a merger last week, the Wall Street Journal reported, quoting people familiar with the matter. The discussions did not go beyond the early, exploratory stage and ... More »
(Reuters) – Men’s Wearhouse Inc’s (MW.N ) largest shareholder, Eminence Capital LLC, plans to support the retailer’s $1.61 billion offer for rival Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc (JOSB.O ), the Wall Street Journal reported, quoting people familiar with the matter. ... More »
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – French drugmaker Sanofi will buy a 12 percent stake in Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc for $700 million and deepen their partnership to develop drugs for rare genetic diseases. The companies said in a joint statement on Monday that Sanofi... More »
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s biggest phone company Telstra Corporation Ltd has agreed to sell 70 percent of its directories unit Sensis, offloading a struggling business challenged by digital transition for less than the market had anticipated. The sale of S... More »
(Reuters) – – Australia’s biggest phone company Telstra Corp. is in advanced talks with a U.S. private equity firm over the sale of its Sensis directories business for as much as A$3 billion ($2.7 bln), local media reported on Saturday. The Melbourne-based tel... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Chinese recycling tycoon Chen Guangbiao dialed back his ambitious plans to buy The New York Times Co just over a week after making his intentions public. “The level of difficulty is great,” he said through a translator on Tuesday. Chen, kn... More »
BOSTON (Reuters) – Mutual funds run by Fidelity Investments bought a modest 2.4 million shares of Twitter Inc in the days after its public debut, revealing that they were not willing to take any early, big bets on the microblogging site. Fidelity’s Contrafund ... More »
(Reuters) – Liberty Media Corp on Friday said it would offer to buy out the minority shareholders in satellite radio provider Sirius XM Holdings Inc, in a deal that could give cable mogul John Malone a freer hand in driving cable consolidation. Liberty, which ... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chen Guangbiao has never acquired a company. The 45-year-old recycling magnate has also never worked in the media industry or become proficient in English. But these facts have failed to puncture the preternatural bubble of confidence surro... More »
MILAN (Reuters) – Fiat’s $4.35 billion deal to gain full control of Chrysler Group LLC sent its shares to a near 2-1/2-year high on Thursday, despite doubts over whether the Italian carmaker could use the merger to cut losses in Europe. Investors welcomed the ... More »
(Reuters) – 21st Century Fox said on Thursday it would sell its 47 percent stake in Star China TV to the TV channel operator’s management and private equity fund China Media Capital. Star China TV, formed in 2010 and majority owned by China Media Capital, oper... More »
LJUBLJANA (Reuters) – A decade ago, with Slovenia cruising towards membership of the European Union, a local brewery called Union caught the eye of Belgian beer giant Interbrew. Union and its larger rival, Lasko (PILR.LJ ), are national treasures in Slovenia, ... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s SoftBank Corp is in talks to acquire U.S. wireless carrier T-Mobile US Inc and is discussing funding for a deal with financial institutions, sources close to the matter said on Wednesday. SoftBank is looking to have its recently acqui... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell’s (RDSa.L ) 23.1 percent stake in Australian oil and gas group Woodside Petroleum (WPL.AX ) is seen as more likely to be split up and/or sold to institutional shareholders than to go in one piece to a strategic buyer, banke... More »
(Reuters) – Media company Meredith Corp said it would buy three television stations from Gannett Co Inc and Sander Media for $407.5 million to expand its broadcast revenue and footprint. Meredith shares rose as much as 5.7 percent on Monday, while Gannett shar... More »
(Reuters) – Seagate Technology Plc said it would buy network and storage equipment maker Xyratex Ltd for about $374 million to strengthen its supply and manufacturing chain for disk drives. Xyratex shares were up 27 percent at $13.25 per share in morning tradi... More »
PARIS (Reuters) – Airbus (EAD.PA ) said on Monday it had finalized a deal with Emirates Airline for 50 more A380s aircraft that had been announced at the Dubai airshow last month. The contract was inked by Emirates President Tim Clark during a visit to the air... More »
NEW YORK/BEIJING (Reuters) – Apple Inc said it has signed a long-awaited agreement with China Mobile Ltd to sell iPhones through the world’s biggest network of mobile phone users. In a deal that could add billions of dollars to its revenue, Apple said its smar... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Years of quiet deal markets in Europe have left a generation of junior investment bankers with little opportunity to cut their teeth, and, with many senior staff let go, banks are finding themselves short on experience as business stirs agai... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Apple Inc on Sunday announced a multiyear deal with China Mobile to bring its iPhone product lines to China, starting January 17, 2014. The terms of the deal were not announced, but Apple said details of pricing and availability for its iP... More »
(Reuters) – News Corp on Friday made its first acquisition as a stand-alone company with the $25 million purchase of social news tool Storyful. Founded in 2008 and based in Dublin, Ireland, Storyful verifies and manages the rights holders of news and videos on... More »
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Vodafone agreed on a so-called domination agreement with Kabel Deutschland, three months after its 7.7 billion euro ($10.5 billion) acquisition of Germany’s largest cable company went through. Vodafone will offer the remaining shareholder... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Liberty Media Corp’s top executives estimate that a merger between Charter Communications Inc and Time Warner Cable Inc could generate roughly $700 million in annual synergies, according to people close to the matter. Liberty Chairman John... More »
PARIS (Reuters) – Malaysian long-haul budget carrier AirAsiaX (AIRX.KL ) announced an order for 25 Airbus (EAD.PA ) A330-300 aircraft on Wednesday in a deal valued at $6 billion at list prices. Chief Executive Azran Osman Rani said he expected strong Asian dem... More »
DUBAI/ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Qatari-backed broadcaster Al Jazeera is considering a bid for a majority stake in Turkish pay-TV company Digiturk to boost its soccer offering ahead of the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar, banking sources familiar with the plans said ... More »
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Omnicom (OMC.N ) and Publicis (PUBP.PA ) will win unconditional European Union regulatory approval for their $35.1 billion merger to create the world’s biggest advertising agency, two people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. U.S. c... More »
MILAN (Reuters) – BlackRock upped its stake in Telecom Italia to make it the struggling firm’s second-biggest investor ahead of a vote for control, but did not say if it would side with top shareholder Telefonica or rebels fighting the Spanish firm’s strategy.... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Charter Communications Inc is preparing to send an offer letter to acquire Time Warner Cable Inc as soon as next week, a source close to the matter said on Friday. The offer is expected to be less than $135 per Time Warner Cable share and ... More »
(Reuters) – British chip designer ARM Holdings Plc’s shares rose as much as 5.5 percent after a media report that Google Inc was considering using ARM’s chips to design its own server processors. By using its own designs, Google could better manage the interac... More »
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – U.S. cable group Liberty Global is in takeover talks with Dutch operator Ziggo, its latest move to consolidate the sector in Europe with a deal analysts say could cost around 5 billion euros ($6.9 billion). Ziggo, which rejected an approac... More »
LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) – Microsoft fended off a challenge to its $8.5 billion takeover of messaging service Skype when Europe’s second-highest court ruled against claims by rival Cisco that the 2011 deal would harm competition. The decision on Wednesday means Mi... More »
(Reuters) – Shares of Scripps Networks Interactive soared more than 11 percent after the market closed on Tuesday on a news report that Discovery Communications is considering a bid for the sought-after cable company. Discovery’s board discussed making a possi... More »
(Reuters) – Time Warner Cable’s incoming chief executive Rob Marcus said on Monday he is in no hurry to sell the company, while Charter’s CEO Tom Rutledge, a potential suitor, said the smaller company sees benefits in growing through acquisitions. Speaking at ... More »
HONG KONG/BEIJING (Reuters) – Alibaba Group will invest HK$2.82 billion ($361 million) in appliance maker Haier Electronics Group Ltd in a deal aimed at expanding the Chinese e-commerce giant’s logistics reach to the millions of consumers in China’s vast inter... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Top U.S. cable provider Comcast Corp has tapped JPMorgan Chase & Co for advice as it evaluates a potential bid for Time Warner Cable Inc, people familiar with the matter said. Comcast brought in the bank to help review options as speculati... More »
HONG KONG (Reuters) – China Mobile Ltd, the country’s largest mobile operator, has signed a long-awaited deal with Apple Inc to offer iPhones on its network, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing an anonymous source familiar with the matter. The... More »
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil antitrust watchdog Cade ruled on Wednesday that Spain’s Telefonica SA must exit its direct and indirect stake in wireless carrier TIM Participações SA or seek a new partner for its Vivo mobile phone unit. In a meeting that took plac... More »
(Reuters) – Hedge fund Hayman Capital has taken a stake in General Motors Co and believes the U.S. automaker’s stock could rise more than 40 percent over the next 12-18 months after the U.S. Treasury sells its stake in the company, a source familiar with inves... More »
(Reuters) – Walt Disney Co and BesTV New Media are to form a digital joint venture in China as the U.S. company aims for a share of the country’s fast-growing entertainment business. The venture, which will have a registered capital of $4 million, will be 51 p... More »
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Apple Inc has acquired social media search and analytics startup Topsy, an unusual purchase for a hardware-focused company that has made few forays into social networking. Apple confirmed the acquisition but would not say why it bough... More »
(Reuters) – U.S. cinema chain AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc plans to raise as much as $368 million from an initial public offering of 18.4 million Class A shares. The company said it expects its offering to be priced in the range of $18 to $20 per share and w... More »
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Apple Inc has acquired social media search and analytics startup Topsy, an unusual purchase for a hardware-focused company that has made few forays into social networking. Apple confirmed the acquisition but would not say why it bough... More »
(Reuters) – Deutsche Bank is in exclusive talks with private equity firm Permira to sell the loss-making part of its wealth management business in the UK, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing three people familiar with the negotiations. The German... More »
(Reuters) – Men’s Wearhouse Inc (MW.N ) struck back at Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc (JOSB.O ) with a $1.5 billion bid to acquire the suit and tuxedo retailer, only weeks after rejecting a takeover offer from its smaller rival. Men’s Wearhouse offered $55 per sha... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Take-Two Interactive Software Inc on Tuesday said it was buying back all of Carl Icahn’s shares in the videogame publisher, and three directors nominated by the activist investor have resigned. The company, known for its Grand Theft Auto g... More »
OSLO/LONDON (Reuters) – Bayer (BAYGn.DE ) has offered to pay $2.4 billion for Norway’s Algeta (ALGETA.OL ), its partner for a new prostrate cancer treatment, at a 27 percent premium to the stock’s last close, Algeta said on Tuesday. The deal would boost Bayer’... More »
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s state-controlled gas export monopoly Gazprom expanded its already considerable media interests on Tuesday by buying metals tycoon Vladimir Potanin’s Profmedia. Through the deal the former Soviet gas ministry will add TV and radio st... More »
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – U.S. advertising company Omnicom Group Inc and French peer Publicis Groupe SA have asked European Union antitrust regulators to approve their proposed $35.1 billion merger to create the world number one agency. Omnicom, the world’s second ... More »
FRANKFURT/OSLO (Reuters) – German pharmaceutical group Bayer is preparing a bid to acquire Algeta, its partner for its prostrate cancer treatment Xofigo, a German newspaper reported on Tuesday. The Frankfurter Rundschau, citing internal documents it obtained, ... More »
(Reuters) – Comcast Corp is a potential bidder for Time Warner Cable Inc, CNBC said on Friday, citing people familiar with the situation. Comcast shareholders are encouraging management to consider a Time Warner Cable deal, these sources told CNBC. Shares of T... More »
BARCELONA (Reuters) – Time Warner Cable finance officer Arthur Minson, asked about a possible takeover approach from rival Charter Communications, said it would put the needs of its shareholders above anything else. Speaking at a Morgan Stanley conference in B... More »
LONDON/PARIS (Reuters) – Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L ) said it was in talks to sell its retail investor products and equity derivatives (IP & ED) business, as it slims down its investment bank. Several industry sources have identified BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA ),... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – New media websites from BuzzFeed to Business Insider are on a roll lately, showered with dollars from venture capitalists betting that they will crack an advertising market that has stymied traditional media companies. With their mix of to... More »
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Apple has bought PrimeSense, an Israeli maker of chips that enable three-dimensional (3D) machine vision, for $345 million, the Calcalist financial newspaper reported on Sunday without citing sources. PrimeSense has raised $85 million fro... More »
(Reuters) – The Forbes family is exploring the sale of its eponymous magazine title and Web publications, becoming the latest prominent media family to bow to the realities of an industry in turmoil. While it follows signs of digital growth at Forbes Media, be... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Technology giant Google Inc and private equity firm KKR & Co LP are investing $400 million in six solar power plants in California and Arizona. In a statement, the companies said the plants are being built and sold by Recurrent Energy, ... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – BlackRock Inc, a money manager that has long worked with the largest U.S. financial institutions, is now turning to the country’s smaller banks, where it sees a promising market for exchange-traded corporate bond funds. The roughly 7,000 r... More »
MILAN (Reuters) – Telefonica (TEF.MC ) will not exercise an option to increase to 100 percent its stake in Telco, the holding company that controls Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI ), the chairman of the Spanish telecoms group told an Italian newspaper on Thursday. In ... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – PetroChina (0857.HK ), China’s top oil and gas firm, said it had agreed to acquire Brazilian state energy firm Petrobras’ (PETR4.SA ) oil and gas assets in Peru for $2.6 billion. The Chinese firm bought all the shares of Petrobras Energia P... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – London-listed Shire is buying ViroPharma for $4.2 billion, its biggest deal yet to strengthen its portfolio of lucrative drugs to treat rare diseases, which are attracting increasing attention from drugs companies as patents expire on their ... More »
DUBAI/PARIS (Reuters) – Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways is in talks to buy jets from Airbus (EAD.PA ) even as it puts the finishing touches to a reported deal with rival Boeing (BA.N ), people familiar with the matter said. At least one of the deals could be announ... More »
ZURICH/MADRID (Reuters) – Switzerland’s Novartis has agreed to sell its blood transfusion testing unit to Spain’s Grifols for $1.68 billion, in an increasingly buoyant market for healthcare deals. The sale comes as Novartis carries out a broad review of operat... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Facebook Inc director Marc Andreessen’s venture-capital firm sold a third of its stake in the world’s No. 1 online social network, according to a recent regulatory filing. Andreessen Horowitz sold 2.28 million shares on November 6 at about... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s BT has beaten BSkyB to win the right to show Champions League soccer from 2015, in the biggest blow to Rupert Murdoch’s dominant pay-TV operator since it started broadcasting more than 20 years ago. BT, the 168-year-old former stat... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Shares in Vodafone Group rose on Friday after a media report that U.S. mobile operator AT&T was exploring strategies for a potential takeover of the British telecoms firm. AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson has said there is a “huge opp... More »
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – OGX Petróleo e Gas Participações SA, the Brazilian oil company controlled by former billionaire Eike Batista, sought court protection from creditors on Wednesday in Latin America’s largest-ever corporate bankruptcy filing. The bankru... More »
(Reuters) – Corning Inc said it would buy out Samsung Display’s stake in their LCD glass joint venture in a deal that could see the Samsung Electronics Co Ltd subsidiary take a 7.4 percent share in the Gorilla Glass maker. The deal includes a new 10-year LCD d... More »
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Retired schoolteacher Donald Hovasse signed up for Twitter about a year ago at the urging of his daughter. He lost interest after trying the service a few times and finding lots of celebrities but few of his friends using the online s... More »
