Exclusive: Bayer, Novartis, others eye Merck’s consumer health unit – sources
NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) – A handful of consumer and healthcare companies including Bayer AG and Novartis are exploring a deal for Merck & Co Inc’s consumer healthcare business, as they seek to gain scale in a fragmented industry, according to several people familiar with the matter.
BofA $8.5 billion deal to go forward; AIG loses bid to delay
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A New York state judge declined to delay court approval of Bank of America Corp’s $8.5 billion settlement with investors in mortgage-backed securities, rejecting a move by American International Group Inc .
Lululemon rejects allegation it misled shareholders
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Lululemon Athletica Inc says its nearly year-long struggle with bad publicity linked to slowing growth and a messy product recall did not reflect any corporate intent to defraud shareholders, and that an expanded lawsuit suggesting…
Nespresso takes aim at Green Mountain’s Keurig with big-cup brewer
BOCA RATON, Florida (Reuters) – Nespresso is launching a new single-serve coffee brewer that makes larger American-sized portions, putting its Swiss parent Nestle in direct competition with U.S. market leader Green Mountain Coffee Roasters .
Cold weather sinks U.S. home building in January
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. housing starts recorded their biggest drop in almost three years in January as harsh weather disrupted activity, but the third month of declines in permits hinted at some weakness in the housing market.
Spain to discuss change in Panama Canal project guarantee-sources
MADRID (Reuters) – A Spanish government working group will discuss changing the status of a state-backed guarantee given to builder Sacyr to secure a contract to widen the Panama Canal on Thursday, two sources with knowledge of the matter said.
Versace says complies with EU regulations on textile chemicals
MILAN (Reuters) – Italian fashion house Versace complied with European Union regulations on textile production, it said on Wednesday following allegations by environmental campaign group Greenpeace that it had found traces of harmful chemicals in the b…
Bankers ready £5 billion debt financing for Morrisons sale
LONDON (Reuters) – Bankers are working on debt financing packages of around 5 billion pounds ($8.35 billion) to back a potential sale of British supermarket chain Wm Morrison Supermarkets to private equity funds, banking sources said on Wednesday.
Exclusive: Deutsche Bank moves closer to settling Kirch dispute
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Deutsche Bank is close to a 900 million euro deal to settle a dispute with the heirs of late media mogul Leo Kirch, a move that would end an acrimonious courtroom battle that has dogged German’s largest bank for more than a decade…
U.S. mortgage applications fall in latest week: MBA
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Applications for U.S. home mortgages fell in the latest week, with both purchase and refinancing applications down, an industry group said on Wednesday.
