Two is better than one! Or not? Rio Tinto declines a merger offer to create world’s largest mining player

Rio Tinto Plc; market cap (as of 10/10/2014): £55.42bn Glencore Plc; market cap (as of 10/10/2014): £41.52bn Rio Tinto, the England-based second-largest supplier of iron ore worldwide, has rejected a merger proposal from the smaller Switzerland-based rival Glencore, preventing a deal that would have created the largest player in mining Read more…

Scramble to fend off takeover: Allergan vs. Valeant

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International; Market Cap. (as of 3/10/2014): $42.9bn Allergan Inc.; Market Cap. (as of 3/10/2014): $53.64bn As low debt obligations alongside large cash holdings and patent expiration liabilities continue to foster a conducive environment for M&A activity in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry another multi-billion dollar struggle has emerged: Read more…