Rent-A-Center going private after $800 million acquisition
The chain, which leases household goods on a rent-to-own basis, has more than two dozen locations in the Indianapolis area.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Articles
AT&T, Time Warner close $81B merger 2 days after judge’s OK
The merger could shape the way consumers stream TV and movies and how much they pay, and stands to usher in a new era of accelerating change and deal making in the media and telecom worlds.
Indianapolis consulting firm acquired by Cincinnati company
Indianapolis-based Allegiant International has seen tremendous growth in recent years thanks to its supply-chain work with General Motors.
Carmel-based Merchants Bancorp plans $21.9M bank acquisition
The acquisition will add three banking offices to Merchants’ subsidiary, Joy State Bank.
After AT&T’s court win, Comcast bids $65B for Fox, as expected
Comcast isn't likely the only mega-media bid in the works. There will probably be a rush to consolidate. Here's a look at some of the proposed combinations that could transform the media landscape and change how people get their entertainment.
Texas tech firm acquires High Alpha’s ClearScholar
Founded in 2016, ClearScholar is the second company in the High Alpha portfolio to be snapped up in the last four months.
Flagstar buying 33 Indiana bank branches from Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Co.’s sale of 52 branches to Flagstar Bancorp Inc. marks a retail-banking exit from Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
Cummins a finalist to make $3.5B acquisition from General Electric
GE is moving closer to a sale of its industrial gas-engine business for more than $3.5 billion after narrowing the list of bidders to a short list that includes Cummins, sources say.
Hoosier carnival pro buys back big amusement operation on the cheap
It’s been a bumpy ride for North American Midway Entertainment, which was sold in 2015 to a Connecticut-based buyer for $75.5 million. One of its former owners just bought it back for $23.5 million.
Fifth Third to acquire Chicago’s MB Financial for $4.7 billion
Fifth Third is paying a premium to gain a bigger foothold in the Chicago market, where MB Financial is among the middle-market banking leaders with 86 retail bank branches.
UPDATE: Eli Lilly buying immuno-oncology company for $1.6 billion
The Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical giant said it plans to acquire ARMO BioSciences Inc., which is working on treatments that activate the immune system of cancer patients to recognize and eradicate tumors.
Indianapolis-area auto dealers selling to bigger groups
The local car dealerships Hoosiers have long visited when shopping to buy a set of wheels could bear new names in coming years as aging owners look to sell off their businesses.
Houston-based company acquires local mechanical contractor
Comfort Systems USA Inc. continues to expand its local operations with its second acquisition of an Indianapolis company in the past year.
Negotiations leading to $558M Finish Line sale full of surprises
A new regulatory said Sports Direct International Inc., the United Kingdom-based sports-apparel retailer that was rumored for months to be on the verge of buying Indianapolis-based Finish Line, never actually wanted to buy the company.
Sprint shares plunge on concern that T-Mobile deal will be blocked
Sprint Corp. suffered its worst stock decline in almost six months, rocked by fears that a proposed $26.5 billion takeover by T-Mobile US Inc. will get rejected by antitrust enforcers.
Fishers-based Strada Education to sell Student Connections
Of Student Connections’ 58 employees in Indianapolis, 42 are expected to keep their jobs after the acquisition.
Private equity firms mull bids for Eli Lilly’s Elanco unit
The Indianapolis pharmaceutical giant is evaluating whether to keep the division, which makes animal-health products, or sell it or take it public. An analyst said it might fetch $16 billion.
UPDATE: Vectren selling to Texas utility for $6 billion
CenterPoint Energy Inc.’s purchase of Vectren would take out Indiana’s 13th-largest public company, with $2.4 billion in annual revenue. Every county surrounding Marion County receives service from Vectren.
Cigna-Express Scripts deal to face Justice Department review
Cigna Corp. confirmed that its proposed $54 billion acquisition of Express Scripts Holding Co. will be reviewed by the U.S. Department of Justice, which has raised the bar for approving deals that don’t combine direct competitors.
Anthem stays on sidelines amid blitz of megadeals
Business history is littered with colossally bad mergers that seemed brilliant at the time. So the insurer might benefit from avoiding the temptation to follow the current trend. Or it could get left in the dust.