Reply #21: more mergers coming [View All]

[UpInArms]

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000082&sid=aOiBXooxgD5s&refer=canada

Molson, Coors May Announce $6 Bln Merger Tomorrow, Journal Says

July 21 (Bloomberg) -- Molson Inc., Canada's biggest beermaker, and No. 3 U.S. brewer Adolph Coors Co. may announce a $6 billion merger plan tomorrow, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter.

Tomorrow is the day Coors reports second-quarter earnings and meets with shareholders and analysts, the newspaper said.

The transaction will be a ``merger of equals'' and will have little or no premium for Molson shareholders, the Journal said.

Molson's board is expected to meet today to vote on the merger, which is supported by Coors Chairman Peter Coors and the company's board, the paper said, adding that spokeswomen for both companies declined to comment.

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http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=businessNews&storyID=551162§ion=finance

EMI shares rise on music merger hopes

LONDON (Reuters) - Shares in record company EMI Group have risen to take their two-day rally to over 7 percent, boosted by talk the firm will be involved in further industry mergers after regulators approved another deal.

Dealers said on Wednesday EMI's rise was sparked by the European Commission's decision on Tuesday to allow Sony Music and BMG to merge.

Industry executives and sector analysts said EMI EMI.L and Warner Music could now dust off their own merger plans to remain competitive as Sony BMG will join Universal Music in having a market share of over 20 percent market.

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http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2004/07/19/daily23.html?jst=b_ln_hl

Charles River-Inveresk merger receives FTC clearance

The Federal Trade Commission has given anti-trust clearance to Charles River Laboratories International Inc.'s proposed $1.5 billion acquisition of Inveresk Research Group.

The companies announced Wednesday that the Federal Trade Commission has granted early termination of the waiting period required by the Hart- Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act in connection with the proposed merger.

The merger is scheduled to close in the fourth quarter of 2004, pending receipt of additional regulatory and shareholder approvals.

Wilmington, Mass.-based Charles River Laboratories, one of the world's largest providers of animals for drug research, announced in early July that it was buying the Cary-based contract research organization.

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http://louisville.bizjournals.com/louisville/stories/2004/07/19/daily21.html?jst=b_ln_hl

Commonwealth Industries to post $18.5 million in charges

Louisville-based Commonwealth Industries Inc. (Nasdaq: CMIN) expects to report more than $18.5 million in charges for the second quarter that are related to a restructuring of the company and a planned merger with IMCO Recycling Inc.

According to a news release, officials expect to incur restructuring costs of about $15.2 million. The company's second- quarter earnings also will include about $3.3 million in transaction costs related to the previously announced sale of its Alflex subsidiary. Aflex, which makes wire products, is being sold to Southwire Co. for $60 million in cash. The deal is expected to close July 30.

Commonwealth's restructuring charges include costs for a variety of cost-saving initiatives, including the closure of a tube manufacturing facility in Kings Mountain, N.C.; the departure of the company's former CEO and other key executives related to the upcoming merger with IMCO; and other streamlining overhead costs, the release said.

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http://www.thestreet.com/_tscs/tech/telecom/10172498.html

AT&T Wireless Posts Surprise Profit

AT&T Wireless (AWE:NYSE - news - research) surprised Wall Street Wednesday morning with a small quarterly profit and some modest gains on the subscriber front.

For its second quarter ended June 30, the company posted a profit of $61 million, or 2 cents a share, on revenue of $4.21 billion. That's down from the year-ago profit of $228 million, or 8 cents a share, on revenue of $4.16 billion.

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The results come as Wall Street keeps an eye on the Redmond, Wash., cell phone service provider ahead of its scheduled merger with giant rival Cingular. The companies are due to combine at year-end in a $15- a-share deal creating the nation's largest wireless carrier, supplanting current No. 1 Verizon Wireless.

AT&T Wireless said it "continues to make good progress in its merger process with Cingular Wireless," which remains under review by the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice. AT&T Wireless said it "shares Cingular's goal of concluding the transaction as soon as possible, but before the end of the year."

AT&T staggered into the arms of Cingular, a venture of local telcos BellSouth (BLS:NYSE - news - research) and SBC (SBC:NYSE - news - research), after a long spell of service disruptions and customer service shortfalls. Users' dissatisfaction with the company emerged this winter, when AT&T Wireless shocked Wall Street by reporting that a stunning 3.7% of its customers were leaving each month. That so- called churn rate, along with the loss of some 400,000 subscribers, was nearly off the charts for a big player.

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