S.E.C. and Justice Dept. End Mortgage Investigations Into Goldman

Federal authorities ended two investigations into the actions of Goldman Sachs during the financial crisis, handing a quiet victory to the bank after years of public scrutiny.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/08/09/goldman-says-sec-has-ended-mortgage-investigation/?pagewanted=all

Manchester United Trades Flat in Debut

Manchester United stumbled after kicking off its initial public offering, as the world-famous soccer club’s stock traded flat in its debut on Friday.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/08/10/manchester-united-opens-at-14-05-in-first-day-of-trading/?pagewanted=all

JPMorgan files formal first-quarter restatement

JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM) filed a formal restatement of its first-quarter results on Thursday to reflect its conclusion that the values of derivatives positions on a London trading desk were originally overstated.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/jpmorgan-files-formal-first-quarter-120150448.html

Apple vs. Samsung: Is It the Trial of the Century?

Patent infringement cases have become almost commonplace in the global tech market, but the Apple (AAPL)-Samsung (SSNLF) trial now underway in San Jose, California is anything but common.

In its first week, the trial revealed some of Apple's product and marketing secrets which are traditionally guarded as if they were nuclear grade trade secrets. "It's not an exaggeration to compare [Apple] to the CIA or some other intelligence agency," Fortune's Adam Lashinsky told The Daily Ticker earlier this year. "They believe everything that happens inside is a secret and that pertains not just to…outsiders but also internally. They don't share their secrets [and] you're expected to mind your own business.

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/apple-vs-samsung-trial-century-134519391.html

Times Co. Said to Reach Preliminary Deal to Sell About.com

The New York Times Company is in the process of selling the online resource guide About.com, according to an executive familiar with the negotiations.

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/08/times-said-to-reach-preliminary-deal-to-sell-about-com/

Heineken Faces Possible Bidding War Over Stake in Asian Brewer

Heineken’s commitment to buying out Asia Pacific Breweries, the maker of Tiger Beer, is being tested by a group linked to one of Thailand’s richest men, as the fight for a bigger slice of the world’s last growing beer markets intensifies.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/09/business/global/heineken-faces-possible-bidding-war-over-stake-in-asian-brewer.html?ref=business

Heineken bid for Tiger Beer faces Thai challenge

Heineken's (HEIA.AS) $6 billion bid to take full control of Tiger Beer maker Asia Pacific Breweries (A46.SI) faces a challenge from a group led by Thai billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, which has put in a higher bid to increase its stake in APB.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/heineken-bid-tiger-beer-faces-125452100.html

DreamWorks Animation Plans Shanghai Theme Park

DreamWorks Animation SKG, the Hollywood studio behind hits like “Shrek,” “Kung Fu Panda” and “Madagascar 3,” said Tuesday it planned to co-develop a $3.1 billion cultural and entertainment district in Shanghai with a group of Chinese partners.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/08/business/global/08iht-park08.html?_r=1&ref=business

Best Buy Founder Offers $8.8 Billion to Buy Out Company

Richard Schulze, the founder of Best Buy, offered to buy the electronics retailer on Monday for as much as $8.8 billion.

A deal near that price would be biggest ever buyout of an American retailer, according to S.&P. Capital IQ data, topping the $8.4 billion buyout of Toys “R” Us in 2005.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/08/06/best-buy-founder-offers-8-8-billion-to-buy-out-company/

The Long-Term Value of Internet Companies

A decade after the last technology bubble burst, the signs are everywhere that it is happening again.

Look at what’s happened to the highly publicized initial public offerings: Facebook’s value has declined $30 billion since its I.P.O., costing investors nearly half their investment. Zynga shares have plummeted. Groupon shares trade at such an extreme discount that there should be a Groupon for them. Pandora’s stock, once $17, has touched $7. Companies like Friendster and MySpace, meanwhile, toil in oblivion.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/08/03/the-long-term-value-of-internet-companies/

JAL Plans an I.P.O. to Raise $8.5 Billion

Japan Airlines, the former flagship carrier driven to bankruptcy and a government bailout two years ago, will relist its stock in Tokyo on Sept. 19 in an initial public offering that could raise $8.5 billion.


http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/08/02/jal-plans-an-i-p-o-to-raise-8-5-billion/

Japan Widens Inquiry Into Insider Trading

A government investigation into insider trading in Japan has extended onto the trading floors of some of the largest Wall Street companies, including Goldman Sachs, UBS and Deutsche Bank.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/08/02/japan-widens-inquiry-into-insider-trading/

Monsanto Wins Big Award in a Biotech Patent Case

A federal jury awarded $1 billion in damages to the crop biotechnology leader Monsanto on Wednesday, saying that its arch rival DuPont had willfully infringed a patent covering Roundup Ready soybeans.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/02/business/monsanto-wins-big-award-in-a-biotech-patent-case.html?ref=business

Wal-Mart Ensures Customers' Voices Are Heard by Campaigns

When he first ran for president, then-Senator Barack Obama of Illinois said in May 2007 that he wouldn't shop at Wal-Mart because the world's largest retailer didn't pay its workers enough.

By January 2011, first lady Michelle Obama stood with the company to announce its decision to reformulate thousands of products to make them healthier by reducing sodium and sugars.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/wal-mart-ensures-customers-voices-040001985.html

Maple Group Wins Battle for Toronto Exchange Parent

The Maple Group, a consortium of Canadian financial firms and pension funds, acquired 91 percent of the shares in the TMX Group, securing its $3.7 billion buyout of the Canadian bourse.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/08/01/maple-group-wins-battle-for-toronto-exchange-parent/

MGM Said to Plan a Buyout of Icahn’s Stake

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer plans to buy out Carl C. Icahn‘s entire stake in the film studio for about $590 million, as preparation to eventually go public, a person briefed on the matter said on Tuesday.


http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/31/m-g-m-said-to-plan-a-buyout-of-icahns-stake/

Chicago Bridge & Iron to Buy Shaw Group for $3 Billion

The engineering company Chicago Bridge & Iron agreed on Monday to buy a rival, the Shaw Group, for $3 billion.

Under the terms of the acquisition, Chicago Bridge & Iron is offering $46 a share in cash and stock for Shaw, which specializes in power generation and government services sectors. The deal represents a 72 percent premium on Shaw’s closing price on Friday.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/chicago-bridge-iron-to-buy-shaw-group-for-3-billion/

Internet Poker Deals Aim to Repay Customers

Settlement deals reached between federal prosecutors and three Internet poker companies call for more than a half billion dollars to be paid to the government, enabling U.S. poker players to recover several hundred million dollars lost when the companies shut down U.S. operations last year, authorities said Tuesday.


http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/07/31/us/ap-us-poker-prosecution.html?ref=business

Roper Industries to Buy Sunquest Information Systems for $1.4 Billion

Roper Industries, an industrial manufacturer, has agreed to purchase Sunquest Information Systems, a maker of diagnostic and laboratory software for $1.42 billion in cash.


http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/roper-industries-to-buy-sunquest-information-systems-for-1-4-billion/

Apple Officials Said to Consider Stake in Twitter

Apple, which has stumbled in its efforts to get into social media, has talked with Twitter in recent months about making a strategic investment in it, according to people briefed on the matter.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/28/technology/apple-is-said-to-discuss-an-investment-in-twitter.html?_r=1&ref=business

The Questionable Value of Olympic Ads

The relevance of the Olympic games has faded since the end of the Cold War, but the dollars surrounding the event just keep growing. The games themselves are estimated to cost London as much as $15 billion, or roughly 5 times the original estimate. London's games end up getting paid for via equipment, sponsorships, and broadcast rights.

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/questionable-value-olympic-ads-130422754.html

The Real Reason That Big Banks Have So Many Scandals

This spring has seen a veritable festival of revelations of illegal, stupid, and dishonest behavior by some of the largest banks in the world. There's the massive trading loss at JPMorgan, originally quoted at $2 billion, now up to $5.8 billion at latest count. There's the laundering of drug and terrorism money by HSBC. And, most spectacularly, there are the admissions of LIBOR-rigging at Barclays, and ongoing investigations at many other banks. 

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/real-reason-big-banks-many-130105614.html

Assurances on Euro by Central Bank Chief Lift Stocks

The head of the European Central Bank said on Thursday that policy makers would do “whatever it takes” to save the euro zone, buoying global financial markets.


http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/27/business/global/ecb-president-talks-up-the-euro-and-lifts-stocks.html?_r=2&ref=business

Amazon Delivers on Revenue but Not on Profit

Leaping revenue, little profit.

That is the long-established Amazonstory, and those who expected to hear it again Thursday were not disappointed.

The company reported sales of $12.8 billion, up 29 percent, in the second quarter while it eked out net income of $7 million, or a penny a share.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/27/technology/amazon-delivers-on-revenue-but-not-on-profit.html?ref=business

Ancestry.com Is Said to Be in Talks for a Buyout

After a brief run as a public company, Ancestry.com, the genealogy Web site, is closing in on a sale to take itself private.
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/24/ancestry-com-is-said-to-be-in-talks-for-a-buyout/

Earnings and Fed Prospects Lift Stocks

Wall Street stocks rose on Wednesday, helped by suggestions that policy makers would find more ways to fan the American economy, but weak global economic data and an earnings disappointment from Apple kept equities under pressure.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/26/business/daily-stock-market-activity.html?ref=business

News Corp. Stock Still Well Above Lows as Hacking Scandal Continues to Unfold

News Corp. stock  on Tuesday slipped so slightly on low volume following the announcement that criminal charges have been brought against eight key figures in the never-ending phone hacking scandal, including ex-News of the World editor and former U.K. director of communications Andy Coulson and former head of News International Rebekah Brooks.

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/news-corp-stock-still-well-above-lows-hacking-180406982.html

VMware to Buy Nicira for $1.05 Billion

VMware has made a billion-dollar bet on what it believes will be the future of computer networking.

VMware, known for software that allows computers to run multiple operating systems simultaneously, has agreed to buy Nicira, a start-up company, for $1.05 billion in cash and $210 million in equity rewards. Nicira is part of the nascent, so-called software defined networking industry, which basically decouples software, or intelligence, from networking hardware — the routers and switchers. That software can then be run entirely on computers, allowing enterprises to reduce cost and achieve greater degree of flexibility in managing their networking needs.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/23/vmware-to-buy-nicira-for-1-05-billion/

NRG Energy to Buy GenOn for $1.7 Billion

NRG Energy said on Sunday that it had agreed to buy GenOn Energy for about $1.7 billion in stock, creating one of the biggest independent power generation companies in the country.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/22/nrg-energy-to-buy-genon-for-1-7-billion/

Lobbying Works! Big Spenders Reap Big Stock Gains Says Trennert

"Follow the money," the simple but famous instruction whispered to Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward by his "Deep Throat" source, was enough to crack the Watergate scandal. Today, 40 years later, those very same words appear to have blown the lid off of another political outrage in our nation's capital: the corrupting influence of money in politics.

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/lobbying-works-big-spenders-reap-big-stock-gains-143308537.html

K.K.R. Opens Its Doors to Individual Investors

The private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts made its name staking billions of dollars on prominent buyouts. But its latest plans are for a sleepier business: mutual funds.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/19/k-k-r-opens-its-doors-to-individual-investors/

Middle East turmoil pushing oil higher again

Rising tensions in the Middle East have pushed oil prices up 19 percent over the past three weeks and are leading to a rise in prices at the gasoline pump.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/middle-east-turmoil-pushing-oil-195440907.html

Blackstone Names Baratta as Global Private Equity Head

The Blackstone Group said on Wednesday that it had named Joseph Baratta, one of its senior deal makers, as head of its global private equity operations.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/18/blackstone-names-baratta-as-global-private-equity-head/

Some Firms Opt to Bring Manufacturing Back to U.S.

About 14% of U.S. companies surveyed by a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor definitely plan to move some of their manufacturing back home—the latest sign of growing interest among executives in a strategy known as "reshoring."

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/firms-opt-bring-manufacturing-back-030900792.html

US builders start most new homes since Oct. 2008

U.S. builders broke ground on the most new homes and apartments in nearly four years last month, the latest evidence that the housing market is recovering.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-builders-start-most-homes-123622820.html

Wells Fargo Posts $4.6 Billion Profit, Up 17%

Wells Fargo reported its 10th consecutive quarter of earnings growth, propelled by a booming business originating and refinancing mortgages.

The bank’s second-quarter profit was $4.6 billion, a record for Wells and a 17 percent increase from the $3.9 billion profit it reported a year earlier. Wells, which is based in San Francisco, earned 82 cents a share for the quarter, above the 81 cents that analysts polled by SNL Financial had expected.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/13/wells-fargo-posts-4-6-billion-profit-up-17/

After Its Founder’s Death, Speculation About Cubic Corp.

It’s a decision many entrepreneurs face — whether to hold on to the company they built from the ground up or sell and potentially give up control.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/12/after-its-founders-death-speculation-about-cubic-corp/

Premier Exhibitions 1Q profit up, attendance rises

Premier Exhibitions, known for its 'Bodies' shows and Titanic exhibit, posted a 9 percent jump in first-quarter net income as it held more events and operated on more days during the period.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/premier-exhibitions-1q-profit-attendance-151239569.html

Walgreen names former McDonald's CEO as chairman

Drug store chain Walgreen Co. on Thursday named former McDonald's CEO James Skinner as its new non-executive chairman.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/walgreen-names-former-mcdonalds-ceo-150359380.html

Qatari Group to Acquire Valentino for $850 Million

The private equity firm Permira agreed on Thursday to sell the luxury fashion company Valentino Fashion Group to Mayhoola for Investments, a Qatari investment group.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/12/qatari-investment-group-to-buy-valentino-for-850-million/

In Manchester United’s I.P.O., a Preference for American Rules

Manchester United, the English soccer team with an adoring fan base in Europe and Asia, is 
filing to go public in the United States.


http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/10/in-manchester-uniteds-i-p-o-a-preference-for-u-s-rules/

American Airlines and US Airways Dance Around a Merger

It’s the ultimate cliché, but it is true: follow the money.

For the last several months,American Airlines’ new chairman and chief executive, Tom Horton, has been desperately trying to delay merger talks with his former cubicle mate, US Airways’ chief executive, Doug Parker. (Mr. Horton and Mr. Parker sat next to each other when they both worked at American in the 1980s.)

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/09/american-and-us-airways-dance-around-a-merger/

Comcast to Sell Back Its Stake in A&E for $3 Billion

Comcast said on Tuesday that its NBC Universal subsidiary had agreed to sell its 15.8 percent stake in A&E Television Networks for $3 billion.


http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/10/comcast-to-sell-back-its-stake-in-ae-for-3-billion/

Campbell Soup to Buy Bolthouse Farms for $1.55 Billion

The Campbell Soup Company said on Monday that it would buy the food company Bolthouse Farms from theprivate equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners for $1.55 billion in cash.


http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/09/campbell-soup-to-buy-bolthouse-farms-for-1-55-billion/

Yahoo and Facebook Said to Settle Patent Lawsuits

Yahoo and Facebook have agreed to settle an increasingly bitter legal fight over their patent holdings, according to people briefed on the matter, ending what could have been one of the nastier court battles in Silicon Valley in some time.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/06/yahoo-and-facebook-said-to-settle-patent-lawsuits/

Manchester United Files to Go Public

Manchester United filed for an initial public offering in the United States on Tuesday, a move that would return the English soccer team to the public markets.


http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/03/manchester-united-files-to-go-public/

3 European Stocks to Buy Right Now Despite EU Turmoil

It's hard to avoid the seemingly endless stories of doom and gloom coming out of Europe. Every piece of good news seems to have less and less impact, and most would have you believe that the EU is hurtling towards the cliff. It's no wonder then, that investors have stayed away from European exposure like the plague. But Scott Bleier of Create Capital says it's time to ignore all that talk and examine at least a few European stocks that are poised to surprise.
http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/3-european-stocks-buy-now-despite-eu-turmoil-120707195.html

Dell Acquires Quest, a Big Software Maker, for $2.4 Billion

For Dell, the future is data.

The company, best known for selling affordable personal computers, announced on Monday a $2.4 billion purchase of Quest Software. The deal will form the backbone of Dell’s software business and push it deeper into the higher-margin enterprise market.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/02/dell-to-buy-quest-software-for-2-4-billion/

Tablets Trump Smartphones for Ecommerce-Are PCs Next?

Retailers tend to lump tablets and smartphones into the same category called "mobile," but that might not be wise, according to the results of a new study by online marketing technology company Monetate.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/tablets-trump-smartphones-ecommerce-pcs-180708287.html

Brewer to Buy Remaining Stake in Grupo Modelo

Anheuser-Busch InBev agreed on Friday to buy the half of the Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo it does not already own for $20.1 billion, the latest deal in the fast-consolidating global brewing industry.
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/06/29/anheuser-busch-inbev-to-buy-remaining-stake-in-grupo-modelo-for-20-1-billion/