Sallie Mae agrees to be sold for $25 bln: report

(Reuters) - JPMorgan and Bank of America each would take 24.9 percent stakes in the company, the Journal reported.

The group plans to pay $60 per share for the student lender, the Journal said.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

U.K. Pound May Fall Before Producer Prices Report, Release of BOE Minutes

(Bloomberg) -- The U.K. pound may drop against the dollar before a report today which will probably show prices of goods leaving factories eased last month, and before minutes of the last Bank of England meeting later this week.

The pound climbed last week by the most in three months on carry trades and speculation signs growth and inflation are quickening will push interest rates higher. So-called core producer prices rose 0.3 percent last month after gaining 0.5 percent in February, according to a Bloomberg survey. The BoE, which kept rates unchanged this month, will release minutes of the meeting on March 18.


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News

3i Group, BG, Burberry, Countrywide, HSBC: U.K., Irish Equity Preview

(Bloomberg) -- The following stocks may rise or fall in U.K. and Irish markets today. Stock symbols are in parentheses and prices are from the market close on March 13.

The benchmark FTSE 100 Index rose 46.00, or 0.7 percent, to close at 6462.40 in London as 58 stocks rose, 36 fell and eight were unchanged. The FTSE All-Share Index advanced 21.07, or 0.6 percent, to 3360.44.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Grupo Iusacell, Lojas Americanas, Grupo Televisa: Latin Equity Preview

(Bloomberg) -- The following stocks may make significant gains or losses in Brazil, Chile and Mexico today. Symbols are in parentheses after the company name, and stock prices are from the last session. In Brazil, preferred shares are the most commonly traded class of stock.

Brazil


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Daimler CEO wants to keep Chrysler stake: report

(Reuters) - Zetsche wants to safeguard cooperation between Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler through the minority holding, Der Spiegel said.

Potential Chrysler buyers -- financial investors Blackstone and Cerberus and Canadian auto parts maker Magna International -- also want Daimler to retain an investment in Chrysler, the magazine added.


Read more at Reuters.com Business News

Trade chiefs need idea of WTO deal by summer - Brazil

(Reuters) - Negotiators striving for a global trade deal must have a clear idea of a final agreement before a summer break in August if they are to meet a year-end deadline, Brazil's Foreign Minister Celso Amorim said on Friday.

Speaking a day after trading powers met in New Delhi and set the deadline for the World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks, Amorim said if there was no deal by the end of 2007, the global political calendar would be "very complicated" for negotiations.


Read more at Reuters Africa

Novartis eyes share buybacks, MedImmune buy-report

(Reuters) - "It is possible that we do both, acquisitions and share buybacks ," Vasella said in an interview in newspaper Finanz und Wirtschaft.

MedImmune said this week it had hired bankers to explore a sale of the company, which could fetch up to $12 billion.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News