Description: Companies sitting on almost $3 trillion in cash are starting to spend it, putting what is typically the slowest month for mergers and acquisitions on course to be the busiest this year. Source: Businessweek.com Date: 08/20/2010 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-08-20/m-a-sees-august-revival-as-companies-tap-3-trillion.html  Questions for discussion: Summarize the current state of M&A activity? What are the reasons for… Read more »
Posts Tagged: M&A
M&A Losers in $10 Trillion Deal Binge Led by McClatchy, Sprint
Description: More than half of the 100 biggest takeovers made during the last mergers-and-acquisitions boom have something in common: By one measure, they never should have happened. Source: Businessweek.com Date: 08/13/2010 Link: http://bx.businessweek.com/mergers-and-acquisitions/view?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloomberg.com%2Fnews%2F2010-08-13%2Fm-a-losers-in-10-trillion-takeover-binge-led-by-mcclatchy-sprint-nextel.html  Questions for discussion: Summarize the lessons learned from this report about the “success and failures†of M&As. What do you suppose… Read more »
Blackstone to Pay $4.7 Billion for Dynegy
Description: The Blackstone Group, the private equity giant, agreed on Friday to buy Dynegy, the Houston power company that once sought to buy Enron, for $4.7 billion including debt, in the largest leveraged buyout so far this year. Source: NYTimes.com Date: 08/13/2010 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/14/business/14dynegy.html?ref=business Questions for discussion: Is this a good deal? Is the risk… Read more »
Barnes & Noble may put itself up for sale; stock jumps
Description: Barnes & Noble said late Tuesday that it will consider selling itself, pushing shares of the world’s largest bookseller up more than 25% in after-hours action Source: Marketwatch.com  Date: 08/03/2010 Link: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/barnes-noble-may-put-itself-up-for-sale-2010-08-03?siteid=nwtwk Questions for discussion: Do you think B&N is a good investment today? Would you short the stock? As an acquisition, how… Read more »
Takeover Spree May Point to Second-Half Pickup in M&A
Description: spate of mergers and acquisitions during the past two weeks may signal the start of a comeback for global deal making in the second half of 2010. Source: Businessweek.com Date: 07/30/2010 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-07-30/takeover-spree-may-point-to-second-half-pickup-in-m-a.html  Questions for discussion: Do you think economic conditions favor further M&A activity for the rest of the year? What do… Read more »
News Hub: The Playboy Takeover Tussle
Description: Playboy is facing a lively takeover battle, which promises to get more and more interesting. Jon Friedman discusses why he believes the focus on Playboy underscores the fact that fabled but scorned “old-media” brands still have a lot of value.  Source: Marketwatch.com – video report Date: 07/16/2010 Link: http://www.marketwatch.com/video/asset/news-hub-the-playboy-takeover-tussle/B951E43C-8270-4A5E-8A61-1E67BCB7F91C Questions for discussion: From… Read more »
Reliance Communications Said to Cut $3 Billion Debt Selling Towers to GTL
Description: Billionaire Anil Ambani’s Reliance Communications Ltd. will cut its debt by at least $3 billion by selling its mobile-phone transmission towers, people familiar with the deal said. Source: Bloomberg.com  Date: 06/27/2010 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-06-27/gtl-to-buy-reliance-communications-towers-to-expand-mobile-phone-network.html Questions for discussion: Summarize the transaction described in the report? What were the benefits derived for each side? How will… Read more »
15 Steps for Successful Strategic Alliances (and Marriages)
Description: Wedding bells fill the Northern Hemisphere air for this season’s happy couples. Among the newlyweds armed with pre-nuptial agreements are numerous companies starting strategic alliances, joint ventures, and focused collaboratives. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: 06/01/2010 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/harvardbusiness?sid=Hf4bf828cb7a8e91f3cc9bd45f37e6165 Questions for discussion: Evaluate the suggestions made in this report. How do the suggestions in this report compare… Read more »
IBM to Spend $20 Billion on Takeovers Through 2015
Description: International Business Machines Corp. Chief Executive Officer Sam Palmisano, seeking to boost earnings by focusing on software and services, said he plans to spend $20 billion on acquisitions in the next five years. Source: Bloomberg.com  Date: 05/12/2010 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aRqLcBIcjkcE Questions for discussion: What is the significance of IBM’s announcement? Why are acquisitions an… Read more »
U.S. Banks in Four States Closed, Failure Count Climbs to 68
Description: U.S. regulators closed four banks holding less than $740 million in total assets as this year’s failures climbed to 68. Lenders in Arizona, California, Minnesota and Florida were closed by regulators and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was named receiver, according to statements on the agency’s website. The failures cost the FDIC’s deposit insurance… Read more »
