Posted on January 6, 2009 at 2:30 PM
Filed under: Corporate Strategy | Detroit Breakdown | Growth Strategy | Joint Ventures and Alliances
Tagged: China , Detroit breakdown , General Motors , Joint Venture , SAIC , Shanghai General Motors , Wuling Automobile Co.

The economic slowdown in China is being felt by General Motors Corp.'s passenger vehicle joint venture. Shanghai General Motors Corp., the crippled giant's joint venture with SAIC Motor Corp., on Monday posted a 7% drop in 2008 sales. Overall, GM sales in China rose 6% in 2008, carried by sales...  Continue reading

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Posted on January 6, 2009 at 1:31 PM
Filed under: Acquisitions | Integration | Movers & Shakers | People
Tagged: bank of america corp. , John Thain , merrill lynch & co. , movers , Robert McCann

Probably the most closely watched post-merger integration going on right now is the absorption of Merrill Lynch & Co. -- and especially its crown jewel wealth management division -- by Bank of America Corp. So it was naturally big news Tuesday when Merrill said Robert McCann (pictured), leader of Merrill's...  Continue reading

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Posted on January 6, 2009 at 1:06 PM
Filed under: Acquisitions | Careers | Corporate Strategy | Crisis On Wall Street | Growth Strategy
Tagged: corporate development , crisis on wall street , hiring , InSearch Worldwide , Randy Gulian

It's not news that a hyper-competitive hiring market awaits job seekers in 2009. How tough is it for those hunting corporate development jobs? For perspective, we checked in with Randy Gulian, whose search firm InSearch Worldwide, acquired by Allegis Group Services Inc. in October, specializes in mid- to executive-level searches...  Continue reading

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Posted on January 6, 2009 at 9:11 AM
Filed under: Best Practices | Corporate Strategy | Deal International | Joint Ventures and Alliances
Tagged: Dow Chemical , K-Dow Petrochemicals , Kuwaiti Supreme Petroleum Council , Petrochemical Industries Co.

Dow Chemical Co., in a move it "doesn't take lightly," will pursue legal action after a surprising decision by the Kuwaiti Supreme Petroleum Council. On Dec. 28, the council withdrew its earlier approval of Dow's joint venture with Kuwait Petrochemical Industries Co. It's no wonder Dow was "shocked by...  Continue reading

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Posted on January 5, 2009 at 2:28 PM
Filed under: Corporate Strategy | Deal International | Divesting and Restructuring | People | Trends
Tagged: General Electric , Relativity Media , Rogue Pictures , Ryan Kavanaugh , Universal Pictures

Reducing its overhead costs in a turbulent economy, Universal Pictures sold its low-cost horror, action and comedy film label to financing partner Relativity Media LLC. The Rogue Pictures label -- which Universal will continue to distribute -- has had success with movies such as "The Strangers" and is one of...  Continue reading

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Posted on January 5, 2009 at 11:30 AM
Filed under: Acquisitions | Corporate Strategy | Growth Strategy | Joint Ventures and Alliances
Tagged: Motorola , Sony Ericsson , Symbian Foundation , UIQ Technology

A decision by Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB and Motorola Inc. to support a leading open-source mobile platform project has undermined a joint venture owned by the companies. UIQ Technology, which became jointly owned by Sony Ericsson and Motorola in October 2007, filed for bankruptcy in Sweden on Monday. The...  Continue reading

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Posted on January 5, 2009 at 9:43 AM
Filed under: Acquisitions | Corporate Strategy | Deal International | Growth Strategy
Tagged: consolidation , Jeff Kindler , M&A , Pfizer , pharmaceutical industry

It appears that Pfizer Inc. is looking to beef up through buyouts, fueling speculation that the pharmaceutical giant could set off a new round of consolidation in the industry with a large megamerger. The drugmaker's CEO Jeff Kindler recently told the Financial Times that he isn't ruling acquisitions of any...  Continue reading

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Posted on January 5, 2009 at 9:24 AM
Filed under: Acquisitions | Integration
Tagged: Alltel Arena , alltel corp. , verizon wireless

One less thing to worry about.Back in October the credit crisis was so severe that there were worries about the ability of financially robust Verizon Wireless to get financing for its strategically sound $28.2 billion acquisition of Alltel Corp. But a Saturday report in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, citing a regulatory...  Continue reading

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Posted on December 31, 2008 at 12:59 PM
Filed under: CD Community
Tagged: happy new year

Note to readers: We're taking the next few days off to recover from our holiday adventures and to ring in 2009. We'll meet you back here on January 5. In the meantime, best wishes for a happy, healthy and by all means prosperous new year. - Suzanne Stevens...  Continue reading

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Posted on December 31, 2008 at 12:22 PM
Filed under: Acquisitions | CD Community | Corporate Strategy | Deal International | Election 2008 | Trends
Tagged: M&A 2009 , PricewaterhouseCoopers , Robert Filek

Robert Filek, a partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers' transaction services group -- and a former CD Forum moderator -- said "troubled companies will look to align with larger, stronger players in order to survive, creating the perfect storm for mergers of necessity." PwC said in a lengthy report that the deal...  Continue reading

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Posted on December 31, 2008 at 11:16 AM
Filed under: Corporate Strategy | Divesting and Restructuring | Movers & Shakers | People | Trends
Tagged: Dell Inc. , Mark Jarvis , Michael Dell , Mike Cannon , Paul Bell , Steve Felice , Steve Schuckenbrock

No. 2 PC maker Dell Inc. is getting hammered by the global economic downturn. After Dell projected more "softening demand" on Aug. 28, its share price tumbled and has yet to recover. At the time, it reported continued conservatism in IT spending in the U.S., which had extended into Western...  Continue reading

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Posted on December 31, 2008 at 8:55 AM
Filed under: Corporate Strategy | Deal International | Joint Ventures and Alliances | Research and development
Tagged: Archemix Corp. , AstraZeneca plc , Forest Laboratories Inc. , GlaxoSmithKline plc , MAP Pharmaceuticals Inc. , Pierre Fabre Medicament , Roche Holding AG , Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp.

M&A in the drug world might be stalled, with Example No. 1 being Roche Holding AG's $44 billion bid for Genentech Inc., but the year is ending with a burst of licensing activity.   The week before Christmas, we reported in The Deal (subscription required) at least six deals that...  Continue reading

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Posted on December 30, 2008 at 4:02 PM
Filed under: Acquisitions | Corporate Strategy
Tagged: cognizant technology solutions , ibm corp. , satyam computer services ltd.

An ill-advised acquisition attempt has hammered the shares of Indian IT outsourcer Satyam Computer Services Ltd., leading to the resignation of four directors -- and possibly sets up a contest to buy into the company that feels very 2006. According to The Economic Times, both private equity firms and the...  Continue reading

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Posted on December 30, 2008 at 12:34 PM
Filed under: Corporate Strategy | Integration | Sector Watch | Trends
Tagged: Chengde Xinin Vanadium and Titanium , Handan Iron and Steel , Olympic Games , Tangshan Iron and Steel

The dealmaking boom for steelmakers began as demand and prices skyrocketed. Now, with steel prices dropping to 14-year lows, companies are merging just to survive. China's latest move in the sector involves merging Tangshan Iron and Steel Co. Ltd., Handan Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. and Chengde Xinxin Vanadium...  Continue reading

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Posted on December 30, 2008 at 10:15 AM
Filed under: Acquisitions | Best Practices | Deal International
Tagged: anil gupta , China , India , inside the deal , M&A

In this edition of Inside the Deal, Anil Gupta, professor of strategy at the Smith School of Business and author of the forthcoming book Getting China and India Right, tells Suzanne Stevens that the opportunity to acquire attractive targets in those developing countries - at bargain prices - has never been better.  Continue reading

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