Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Today's Headlines

Bloomberg:
- Blackstone Group LP raised its cash offer for Equity Office Properties Trust(EOP) to $39 billion to thwart rival bidder Vornado Realty Trust(VNO) a day before shareholders vote on what would be the largest-ever leveraged buyout.
- Silver Lake Partners plans to raise as much as $10 billion for the biggest technology buyout fund after a record year of private-equity acquisitions.
- MGIC Investment Corp.(MGIC), the largest US mortgage insurer, agreed to buy Radian Group(RDN) for $4.9 billion in stock, following its biggest competitor into the bond insurance market.
- Mills Corp.(MLS) said it will begin talks with Simon Property Group and Farallon Capital Management LLC to consider their $1.56 billion bid for the company.
- The Chicago Merc(CME) can move forward with plans to offer the first exchange-traded credit derivative contacts, after the CFTC gave approval.
- Eastman Kodak(EK) for the first time plans to sell printers that use lower-cost ink cartridges to compete with Hewlett-Packard(HPQ).
- Investors should reduce holdings of telecom stocks in the emerging markets of Europe, the Middle East and Africa because gains in the past six months have left them expensive, Goldman Sachs(GS) said.

Wall Street Journal:
- DaimlerChrysler AG aims to revive Chrysler’s fortunes by integrating the unit with the luxury Mercedes-Benz brand, gambling that the latter’s exclusive image won’t be damaged.
- US utilities increased spending for electricity power lines to reduce choke points, improve reliability, and increase possibilities for using renewable energy.
- Compliance officers are in demand at US financial institutions as money is laundered by wrongdoers in increasingly sophisticated ways and regulators slap large fines
NY Times:
- Veterinarians who work on large food animals such as cows are in such short supply that the American Veterinary Medical Association predicts 4 in every 100 food-animal vet jobs will go unfilled by 2016.
- The SEC is examining whether employees at major financial institutions are tipping off preferred clients such as hedge funds to inside information about imminent large stock trades.
- Saudi Arabia is taking a more visible role in Middle East affairs to thwart Iran’s push to become a regional superpower, citing diplomats, analysts and officials throughout the Middle East.
- Wal-Mart Stores(WMT) is linking with six major Hollywood studios to sell digital movies and television shows on its Web site.

La Repubblica:
- Italian Industry Minister Pierluigi Bersani plans to introduce a series of measures to promote energy efficiency.

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung:
- Alstom SA may purchase alternative energy companies this year, citing Philippe Joubert, president of the company’s Alstom Power unit.

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