Acquisition, Billion | featured news

Allied World Assurance Co Holdings agreed to buy Transatlantic Holdings for $3.2 billion in stock, creating a specialty insurer and reinsurer with broader reach and product offering.

Private equity firm Blackstone Group LP has agreed to sell its 50 percent stake in Universal Orlando to Comcast-controlled NBCUniversal for $1.03 billion.

Packaging company Sealed Air Corp. has agreed to buy the privately-held Diversey Holdings Inc. for about $2.9 billion in cash and stock. Diversey is a cleaning and sanitation company.

Allstate agreed to buy auto insurer Esurance and insurance agency Answer Financial from White Mountains Insurance Group for about $1 billion to expand its online presence.

The acquisition, an effort to gain a foothold in voice and video communications, would be Microsoft’s largest ever.

Mark Zuckerberg is eyeing the takeover of the much popular Skype, in a deal that might cost Facebook close to $4 billion.

Applied Materials Inc. says it will buy Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates Inc. for $4.9 billion, gaining access to a leading supplier of ion implantation equipment used by chipmakers....

Johnson & Johnson is to buy Swiss medical devices maker Synthes Inc in a deal worth $21.3 billion, its largest ever buy, boosting its orthopedics franchise and reshaping the medical technology industry.

Diamond Foods Inc. is buying Procter & Gamble Co.'s Pringles chips business in a deal valued at $1.5 billion....

EBay Inc., owner of the largest e- commerce market, agreed to buy GSI Commerce Inc. for about $2.4 billion to add interactive marketing services.