Commerzbank will this month complete its acquisition of Dresdner Bank under extreme pressure to prove the worth of Germany’s largest recent bank merger

source: financial times

South Korea’s Hanwha Group has been given an extra month to sign a $4.5bn deal to buy a majority stake in Daewoo, the world’s third biggest shipbuilder

source: financial times

Taiwan’s government will seek to use its influence in partially state-owned banks to push for banking sector consolidation, its newly appointed financial super-regulator said

source: financial times

Imperial Energy is closing in on the 90 per cent level of acceptances it needs to seal its takeover by ONGC Videsh, part of the state-owned Indian oil company

source: financial times

The total volume of worldwide mergers and acquisitions reached $3,280bn in the year to date, down 29% from the full year 2007 as financing difficulties, volatility in valuations and widespread risk aversion saw deals pulled

source: financial times

Merger and acquisitions bankers are not looking forward to the first half of next year. After five years of the biggest deal boom yet seen, corporate financiers will now have to adjust to a much slower pace of activity as companies choose to conserve their cash.

source: financial times

The corporate landscape looks set to be radically altered as chief executives of some of Europe’s biggest public companies embark on a series of deals, a study shows

source: financial times

Shareholders attending the HBOS general meeting in Birmingham today have indicated their support for being acquired by rival UK bank Lloyds TSB.

source: thomson

Spain wants to insure its national oil & gas group remains Spanish controlled if Russian peer Lukoil goes ahead with its stake purchase

source: thomson

Broker Dresdner Kleinwort believes “more capital increases virtually inevitable” to plug European banks’ €75bn capital deficit

source: thomson

Private equity firm 3i has seen its share price continue on its downward trend. They have fallen from 356p on December 9 to 333p yesterday. In this morning’s trading they dropped to 315p, or by 5% from the day before, suggesting that investor…

source: thomson

French airline may not have appetite for loss-making Irish carrier

source: thomson

Finnish government moves €5.3bn (US$7bn) worth of non-core equity shareholdings in domestic companies to a new investment company.

source: thomson

BAA, the owner and operator of seven UK airports, has reported a drop in November passengers of 8.9% to 9.8 million.

source: thomson

HBOS, meeting in Birmingham to approve its takeover by rival Lloyds TSB, says it can “navigate through this difficult period” as part of an enlarged banking group.

source: thomson

German transport giant Deutsche Bahn is eyeing the UK government’s stake in Eurostar.

source: thomson

Premier Foods’ share price rose by 3.75p to 27.75p yesterday on rumours that a private equity firm could be planning to launch a bid for the already heavily-indebted group.

source: thomson

Telecom companies should be resilient during a downturn but cash bids are vulnerable

source: thomson

CEO of US insurer says pace of asset sales may change, and that announcements on sales may take a couple of months or longer.

source: thomson

Indian-themed beer company Cobra has been put up for sale by its founder, Lord Bilimoria, who owns two-thirds of the business.

source: thomson