Business Today: Actavis to buy Forest for $25 billion; windfall for investor Icahn

	Click to View in Browser 02/18/2014 Actavis to buy Forest for $25 billion; windfall for investor Icahn (Reuters) - Generic drugmaker Actavis Plc said on Tuesday it would buy Forest Laboratories Inc for about $25 billion in cash and stock, giving it a major focus on higher-margin, branded treatments for Alzheimer's, hypertension and other disorders. S&P 500 ends up slightly after M&A activity NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks edged higher on Tuesday, following Wall Street's biggest weekly gain of the year, as merger activity boosted confidence that there is value in the market even as the S&P 500 nears a record high. Dongfeng deal buys time and new blood for Peugeot PARIS (Reuters) - PSA Peugeot Citroen and China's Dongfeng have agreed a 3 billion euro ($4.1 billion) capital tie-up that brings the troubled French carmaker new leadership, more time to turn its business around and an end to two centuries of family control. More weak U.S. economic data puts cracks in weather theory WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. homebuilder confidence suffered its largest one-month drop ever in February, heightening concerns that recent signs of weakness in the economy reflect deeper problems than the severe weather that has gripped much of the country. Pimco's Gross tries again to soothe clients (Reuters) - Pimco's Bill Gross, manager of the world's largest bond fund, on Tuesday sought to reassure the firm's clients about the new leadership structure he has put in place since his heir apparent stunned the investment community last month by announcing his departure. Coke revenue misses estimates as soda sales slow (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co's quarterly global sales volumes rose less than the company estimated and fell in North America, but the company said it expects to restore sales momentum in 2014. Candy Crush Saga maker King plans U.S. stock market debut STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - King, the company behind the hit mobile phone game "Candy Crush Saga," is planning a U.S. stock market debut that some analysts think could value it at more than $5 billion and herald a flurry of technology company listings this year. General Electric Co seeks $658 million U.S. tax refund: court filing WASHINGTON (Reuters) - General Electric Co is suing the Internal Revenue Service for a $658 million tax refund related to a tax loss the company claimed as it exited the reinsurance market more than a decade ago. AIG holding BofA $8.5 billion settlement 'hostage,' investors say NEW YORK (Reuters) - American International Group is holding "hostage" an $8.5 billion deal to compensate investors who bought Bank of America Corp mortgage securities, supporters of the deal said in court filings ahead of a hearing on Wednesday. Jos. A. Bank's offer for Eddie Bauer defies logic: shareholder (Reuters) - Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc's planned acquisition of outdoor sportswear retailer Eddie Bauer defies logic given that the companies cater to different customers, according to one of the men's apparel retailer's shareholders. Related Video Obama: critics of stimulus plan "had to eat their words" Gold set to shine again Economic News More weak U.S. economic data puts cracks in weather theory U.S. minimum wage hike would kill jobs but alleviate poverty: CBO A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today   The latest Reuters articles on M&A, IPOs, private equity, hedge funds and regulatory updates delivered to your inbox each day. Register Today   » MORE NEWSLETTERS - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add mail@nl.reuters.com to your address book. Details Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook Forward to a friend