Earlier this year, health insurance giant Aetna was left broken-hearted when its $37 billion merger with Humana fell through because federal antitrust regulators apparently hate to see two mammoth insurers so in love with each other. But in this autumn season, there’s a rare bloom of corporate romance peeking out, as Aetna has reportedly found itself a suitor in the form of CVS Health. [More]
murders and executions
Sprint & T-Mobile Want To Merge Without Selling Anything Off
By 10.16.17
When a merger between two or more companies will have a drastic effect on competition, it’s all but expected that the new couple will sell off some of their existing operations to alleviate antitrust concerns. Even though a merger or Sprint and T-Mobile would leave the U.S. with only three national wireless carriers, the two rumored lovebirds are reportedly unwilling to part ways with any assets. [More]
Possible Sprint, T-Mobile Merger Could Face DOJ Antitrust Opposition
By 10.11.17
Though the romance rumor mill is still claiming that Sprint and T-Mobile are hoping to announce their engagement in the weeks to come, and it’s highly unlikely that the pro-industry FCC will do anything to slow these crazy kids from merging, the wireless wedding could be spoiled by the anti-trust wet blankets at the Justice Department. [More]
Sprint, T-Mobile Reportedly Making Final Plans For Halloween Honeymoon
By 10.6.17
The worst kept secret in merger romances is apparently getting achingly close to becoming a reality, with a new report claiming that the parents of T-Mobile and Sprint are putting the final details together on an arranged marriage that would see these two kids wed before Halloween. [More]
The 5 Best Parts From John Oliver’s Report On Corporate Mergers
By 9.25.17
You don’t have to read the business pages to know that recent decades have resulted in massive corporate consolidation. Whether it’s air travel, wireless service, internet, banking, or eyeglasses, a number of industries have enjoyed such merger mania that only a few national competitors remain. [More]
Netflix Is Now In The Comic Book Business; Buys Company Behind Kick-Ass, Kingsman
By 8.7.17
Comic book characters are a big business, responsible for billions of dollars a year in movie and TV revenue. Netflix knows this fact first-hand from its various, exclusive Marvel shows, but now the streaming video giant has gone a step further, actually popping off to the shop and picking up a comic book company to call its own. [More]
Michael Kors Goes Shoe Shopping, Buys Jimmy Choo For $1.3B
By 7.25.17
Nothing goes together quite like shoes and purses — just look in my closet. For that reason, it makes sense that two high-end accessory brands would be interested in becoming one: Despite closing stores and falling sales Michael Kors went shopping this week, placing Jimmy Choo in its shopping bag. [More]
McCormick Spices Buys Maker Of French’s Mustard, Other Sauces For $4.2B
By 7.19.17
Making a tasty, tangy sauce takes a little bit of spice, but the maker of French’s Mustard and Frank’s RedHot brands is about to get a lot of spice: Ingredients maker McCormick & Company – the company behind those red bottles of seasonings and brands Lawry’s, Zatarain’s, Old Bay, and others — will buy condiment maker Reckitt Benckiser for $4.2 billion. But don’t expect the deal to change the condiment aisle too much. [More]
Walgreens No Longer Merging With Rite Aid; Still Plans To Buy Half Of Rite Aid Stores For $5.2 Billion
By 6.29.17
It’s been nearly two years since Walgreens first agreed to buy competitor Rite Aid and its 4,600 or so stores for $9.4 billion to form the nation’s largest drugstore chain, only to see the value of that deal shrink amid antitrust concerns. Today, Walgreens announced that it’s scrapping that original plan to combine forces with Rite Aid but still plans to purchase about half of the smaller company’s retail locations. [More]
Report: Charter Looking To Buy Cox Communications
By 6.22.17
While it was rumored that Charter said “no thank you” to Verizon’s estimated $100 billion merger offer earlier this year because it just wasn’t enough money, new reports suggest the rejection was actually because Charter wanted to go on its own shopping spree, snatching up Cox Communications. [More]
Report: Feds May Try To Stop Merger Of DraftKings, FanDuel
By 6.15.17
DraftKings and FanDuel — the two biggest names in daily fantasy sports — are currently waiting on federal regulators to approve a merger that would combine the two companies into one operation. However, a new report claims that the Federal Trade Commission may try to block this blessed union. [More]
Sprint, T-Mobile Merger Buzz Starts Up Again After CEO Says He’d “Love To Begin Talks”
By 5.10.17
If the U.S. wireless market were a John Hughes ’80s movie, Verizon would be Jake from Sixteen Candles — rich, expensive car, gets what he wants; AT&T would be Andrew from The Breakfast Club — dumb but popular, brutish, secretly just wanting to be loved; T-Mobile would be Duckie from Pretty In Pink — pugnacious, a flashy dresser, occasionally adorably profane; while Sprint would be Cameron from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off — always seemingly on the verge of failure, barely tolerated, has parents with a lot of money. And now those rich parents think that teaming up their awkward son with plucky T-Mobile will help them both take on the bigger, more handsome competitors. [More]
Coach Goes Shopping, Picks Up Stylish Rival Kate Spade For $2.4B
By 5.8.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
Just months after Coach began to see promising results from pursuing wealthier customers and selling more high-end bags, the accessories company is ready to reward itself with a little something: rival handbag and accessory brand Kate Spade. [More]
Panera Sold To Owner Of Krispy Kreme, Peet’s & Caribou For $7.5 Billion
By 4.5.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
UPDATED: Yahoo, AOL Brands To Be Part Of Verizon’s New ‘Oath’ Thing
By 4.3.17 — Updated: 4.4.17
Volkswagen Not Yet Saying No To Idea Of Chrysler Merger
By 3.14.17
While poor Fiat Chrysler is busy hopelessly playing the Duckie to General Motors’ Andie Walsh (What — you’re not Pretty In Pink fans? Monsters), there might be another potential prom date in FCA’s future: Volkswagen. [More]
Sprint Reportedly Talking To White House About Possible Merger With Comcast Or T-Mobile
By 3.6.17
In recent weeks, President Trump has repeatedly mentioned promised investments and jobs from Sprint and its parent company Softbank. Now the wireless provider is reportedly hoping to eventually turn that goodwill — and the Trump administration’s light-touch approach to regulation — into a mega merger, possibly with T-Mobile, Comcast, or others. [More]
