Mergers & Acquisitions | featured news

Reinsurers Allied World Assurance Co Holdings Ltd and Transatlantic Holdings Inc called off their merger on Friday in the face of overwhelming opposition, leaving the fate of Transatlantic uncertain amid two larger, unsolicited offers.

Nasdaq OMX has stepped up its opposition to the planned merger between NYSE Euronext and Deutsche Börse and said the deal would "irrevocably destroy" competition in Europe's listed-derivatives markets, just as the European Commission nears a decision on the tie-up.

The Justice Department's move to block AT&T Inc. from buying
T-Mobile USA is motivated by the desire to keep a low-priced
competitor in the game. But that's a game T-Mobile is losing.

The top executive of NYSE Euronext said a critical European Union review of the company's agreed-upon tie-up with Deutsche Börse will likely result in conditions being placed on the combined company, rather than an outright block of the deal.

Sen. Al Franken (D., Minn.), is urging regulators to reject the pending AT&T’s merger, joining the Senate’s antitrust chair and other lawmakers in what may be a growing legislative backlash against the deal.

Express Scripts and Medco Health Solutions, the largest U.S. pharmacy benefits management companies, said Thursday they will combine in a deal worth $29.1 billion in cash and stock.

BHP Billiton boosts its presence in the booming shale gas market as it agrees a $12bn deal to buy Petrohawk Energy.

Western Union says it has agreed to acquire Travelex Global Business Payments for about $973.8 million in cash, in a deal that will allow it to expand rapidly in the business of international payment processing.

VF Corp., whose brands include Wrangler, Nautica and The North Face, said Monday it will buy boot and clothing maker Timberland Co. for more than $2.2 billion.

Allied World Assurance Co Holdings agreed to buy Transatlantic Holdings for $3.2 billion in stock, creating a specialty insurer and reinsurer with broader reach and product offering.