mergers

FTC Chair Lina Khan prepares to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on July 13.

FTC and Justice Department double down on strategy to go after corporate monopolies

5:01am July 19, 2023

New guidelines from the FTC and Justice Department are part of a broader push to promote competition and limit what the White House sees as excessive consolidation.

BB&T and SunTrust announced plans to merge, in a deal worth some $66 billion. The deal is weighted toward BB&T, whose shareholders will own around 57 percent of the new bank.

National

BB&T And SunTrust To Merge, Forming 6th-Largest Bank In The U.S.

10:31am February 07, 2019

by Bill Chappell

The new bank is set to have its headquarters in Charlotte, N.C. Both of the banks are calling it a "merger of equals," but the deal is weighted toward BB&T, whose CEO will be in charge.

Arts
Economy

Michael Kors Buys Italy's Versace Fashion House For $2.12 Billion

11:27am September 25, 2018

by Bill Chappell

Michael Kors says it wants to add about 100 Versace stores worldwide to reach a goal of 300. It also plans to focus more on accessories and shoes.

AT&T and Time Warner are not competitors; their proposed merger would be a "vertical integration" of complementary companies.

U.S. Judge Approves AT&T's $85 Billion Merger With Time Warner

11:01pm June 12, 2018

by David Folkenflik

A judge gave his blessing to AT&T's drive to take over the Time Warner media conglomerate. He rejected the Justice Department's arguments that the combined company would be too powerful.

Queue Listen Now

Pedestrians walk past a T-Mobile store in New York City on Friday. Sprint and T-Mobile are seeking to merge, but the proposed deal sill requires regulatory approval.

T-Mobile, Sprint Announce A Plan For Merger

3:07pm April 29, 2018

by Camila Domonoske

The combined company would be called T-Mobile, and have a total value of $146 billion based on current stock prices. The deal, subject to regulatory review, comes after years of failed merger talks.

Musical.ly, which is based in Shanghai, is being acquired by Bytedance, an artificial intelligence-focused Chinese technology company. In the foreground, the mascot for Live.ly, a live-streaming app.

Music & Culture

Chinese Firm Buying Lip-Sync App Musical.ly For Up To $1 Billion

2:38pm November 10, 2017

by Andrew Flanagan

The teen-oriented app has had exponential growth since its 2014 launch — much like Bytedance, the Chinese tech company set to acquire it.

Had T-Mobile and Sprint completed a merger, Reuters says the new company would have claimed more than 130 million subscribers.

Potential T-Mobile And Sprint Merger Falls Apart

5:16pm November 04, 2017

by Chris Benderev

The third- and fourth-largest U.S. wireless carriers had been in talks for a long time but announced Saturday that they could not agree on mutually beneficial terms.

Economy

British American Tobacco Finishes Purchase of Reynolds American, Inc.

2:45pm July 25, 2017

by Sean Bueter

The moment that industry watchers have been expecting for more than a decade is here.

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson (left) and Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes are sworn Wednesday before testifying at a Senate committee hearing on the proposed merger of their companies.

Consumer Cost Emerges As Key Issue In Grilling Of AT&T-Time Warner Merger

3:40pm December 07, 2016

by Alina Selyukh

A congressional hearing on the proposed $85.4 billion merger focused heavily on questions about the impact on consumer prices and how the companies might use their competitive advantage.

AT&T unveiled an $85.4 billion offer for Time Warner last month that would transform the telecom giant into a media-entertainment powerhouse.

Wave Of Mergers Washing Over The Economy: Sinking Or Buoying Consumers?

3:32pm November 02, 2016

by Marilyn Geewax

In recent weeks, U.S. corporations have announced multibillion-dollar deals in a huge wave of mergers. Economists say that can hurt consumers, workers and savers — but also strengthen the economy.