acquisition

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Court Stalls Whole Foods Merger
Court Stalls Whole Foods Merger
Aug 21, 2007 7:18 AM CDT

Court Stalls Whole Foods Merger

FTC wins 2 days to argue that $565M Wild Oats deal would ruin competition

(Newser) - A federal court issued a temporary injunction yesterday preventing Whole Foods from buying Wild Oats—at least today. The three-judge panel wants extra time to consider the FTC's argument that combining the nation's two largest organic food retailers would destroy competition. The companies will file additional briefs by tomorrow, and...

HSBC Shops for Controlling Stake in KEB

Bank looks to strengthen presence in Korean economy

(Newser) - HSBC is in talks to buy a controlling stake in Korea Exchange Bank from the U.S. private equity group Lone Star. A local newspaper has reported that the deal would be worth $4.5 billion. HSBC wants to strengthen its presence in the Korean economy, and Lone Star has...

Trib Deal Could Come Undone
Trib Deal Could Come Undone
Aug 20, 2007 3:21 PM CDT

Trib Deal Could Come Undone

Wall Street unsure of Zell takeover will go through

(Newser) - The Tribune Company’s shareholders are meeting tomorrow to approve Sam Zell’s $8.2 billion takeover, but whispers persist on Wall Street that the deal will crumble. A disappointing stock price, concerns about the fading newspaper business, and a sagging credit market have convinced some analysts that Zell’s...

FTC Spills Trade Secrets
FTC Spills Trade Secrets
Aug 15, 2007 3:04 PM CDT

FTC Spills Trade Secrets

Redacted portions were actually easily legible

(Newser) - While investigating Whole Foods Market's proposed takeover of competitor Wild Oats, the FTC accidentally released dozens of Whole Foods' trade secrets. The commission filed documents electronically without realizing that redacted portions were actually legible, just shaded. Among the secrets: how Whole Foods negotiates with suppliers to drive up prices at...

MSFT Grabs AQNT for $6B
MSFT Grabs AQNT for $6B
Aug 13, 2007 3:30 PM CDT

MSFT Grabs AQNT for $6B

(Newser) - Microsoft completed the largest buyout in its history today, snatching up online advertising firm aQuantive for $6B. Microsoft closed the deal on Friday and will dole out $66.50 in cash for each share of the Seattle-based company, which will de-list from the Nasdaq after nearly doubling in value after...

Murdoch Surveys New Empire
Murdoch Surveys New Empire
Aug 1, 2007 5:29 AM CDT

Murdoch Surveys New Empire

Mogul plans all-out global fight vs. NY Times, Financial Times

(Newser) - As Rupert Murdoch celebrates his acquisition of Dow Jones, articles in the new jewel in his crown, the Wall Street Journal, and one of its biggest rivals, the New York Times, speculate about the future. They agree Murdoch will direct a titanic battle for ads and readers against both the...

Bancrofts Agree to Sale
Bancrofts Agree to Sale
Jul 31, 2007 10:22 AM CDT

Bancrofts Agree to Sale

Dow Jones 'will be part of News Corp.'

(Newser) - Enough members of the Bancroft family are supporting Rupert Murdoch's $5B bid for Dow Jones to seal the deal. The Wall Street Journal reports that 32% of the votes in its parent company are virtually guaranteed to Murdoch's News Corp.; the tycoon will likely be able to pick up the...

Corporate Buyers Muscle In on Private Equity Deals

Credit squeeze puts business-as-usual on hold

(Newser) - Corporations have the upper hand over private equity firms in acquisitions for the first time in years because of chaos in the debt markets, the Wall Street Journal reports. Private equity firms are stalled until the credit situation stabilizes and they can sell off some of their debt. Corporate buyers...

Battling Bancrofts Take Journal Deal Down to Wire

Deadline today on Murdoch's offer

(Newser) - The Bancroft family, which controls the majority of shares in Dow Jones, is so deeply divided over the proposed sale of the Wall Street Journal to Rupert Murdoch that the deal is still too close to call, the Journal reports. A decision on the $5 billion bid is set for...

Major Bancroft Branch to Nix Murdoch Offer

Family trust may force mogul to raise price for Journal

(Newser) - An important faction within the Bancroft family will vote against Rupert Murdoch’s controversial $5 billion deal for Dow Jones, instead demanding a significant increase of his offer. The Denver branch of the family, which owns a crucial 9.1% of Dow Jones voting stock, wants an extra $120 to...

$24B Buyout Buzz Boosts Macy's Shares

KKR and Goldman considering offer

(Newser) - Shares in Macy's soared amid reports of a pending $24-billion buyout plan by KKR and Goldman Sachs, reports Bloomberg. Stock rose $3.06—7.6%—to $43.09 after Women's Wear Daily reported the news. The Wall Street firms would pay $52 a share—a 30% premium on Wednesday's close,...

Whole Foods CEO Sorry for Web Subterfuge

Online shenanigans draw board scrutiny along with SEC probe

(Newser) - The CEO of Whole Foods apologized yesterday for boosting his company and posting snide comments about a rival supermarket chain in Internet forums and said he "had fun doing it." John Mackey's actions over the last 8 years have already triggered an SEC investigation, and the company's board...

IHOP Gets a Taste of Applebee's
IHOP Gets a Taste of Applebee's
Jul 16, 2007 10:50 PM CDT

IHOP Gets a Taste of Applebee's

(Newser) - Breakfast giant International House of Pancakes is acquiring the bar-and-grill chain Applebee's for $1.9B, or $25.50 a share—4.6% higher than Friday's closing price. IHOP will turn most of Applebee's 508 restaurants into franchises at a rate of 40 per quarter beginning in 2008, a move that...

Kraft Goes Cookie Shopping in France

American snack giant bids $7.2B for Danone's biscuit division

(Newser) - Kraft moved to elevate its international profile today with a $7.2 billion for Danone's biscuit division, setting up a deal that would make the Oreo manufacturer Europe's largest cookie maker. The polyglot alliance of Ritz crackers and Petit Ecolier biscuits faces numerous obstacles, the Times of London reports, including...

Carlyle Bids on Faltering Virgin Media

Debt-riddled UK cable provider, 35 ($ a share), seeks rich buyout firm

(Newser) - The friendly corporate raiders at the Carlyle Group have floated an offer to buy out Virgin Media, the British cable provider, with total equity in the range of $8B and $10B, the Journal reports. The besieged media company has been losing customers to rivals in the UK, and has stacked...

CEO Passes Reins at Wells Fargo
CEO Passes Reins at Wells Fargo
Jun 28, 2007 6:01 AM CDT

CEO Passes Reins at Wells Fargo

Successor will continue bank's strategy

(Newser) - Dick Kovacevich, the CEO of Wells Fargo, stepped down yesterday after an enviable run at the helm of the country's fifth-largest bank. His successor will be COO John Stumpf. At a time when most financial institutions are seeking global acquisitions, the San Francisco-based bank has outperformed larger rivals while shunning...

Murdoch Says $5B Is Final Offer for Dow Jones

Mogul won't raise offer to push stalling Bancroft family

(Newser) - Rupert Murdoch won't raise his $5B bid for Dow Jones, the media mogul said today. Murdoch deflected speculation that he would up the ante to move along negotiations with the openly skeptical Bancroft family, which owns a majority stake in the Journal publisher. Instead, Reuters reports, Murdoch is suggesting he...

Mogul's Interest In Journal Is No Passing Fancy

Groundwork for Murdoch's Dow Jones bid dates back decades

(Newser) - Rupert Murdoch's bid for Dow Jones may have seemed to come out of nowhere, but the Australian media mogul has had his eye on the Wall Street Journal for years. In three decades in the States, Murdoch has made his mark in news, entertainment, and, of course, politics. The Times ...

Gambling Firm Agrees to Buyout
Gambling Firm Agrees to Buyout
Jun 15, 2007 4:08 PM CDT

Gambling Firm Agrees to Buyout

Penn National Gaming changes hands for $8.9B

(Newser) - The casino-operator buyout spree continued today as Penn National Gaming agreed to be acquired by two private-equity firms for $8.9 billion. The deal, which allows the company to solicit bids for 45 days, includes $2.8 billion in debt. News of the $67-a-share offer, a 31% premium over yesterday's...

KKR Buyout Spree Hits a Snag
KKR Buyout Spree Hits a Snag
Jun 12, 2007 4:31 PM CDT

KKR Buyout Spree Hits a Snag

Traditional investors tapped out; equity firm looking elsewhere

(Newser) - Buyout giant KKR's $26B acquisition of electronic payment processor First Data Corp is not going smoothly, reports the Wall Street Journal. Once enthusiastic investors are shying away from private equity deals as interest rates steepen. "We have enough exposure to KKR already," said one major financier.

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