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Having withdrawn from the stock market five years ago, Toys 'R' Us has filed for an initial public offering in the hope of raising $800 million. The toy store chain's performance will be a barometer to how well its owner, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, is proving itself to potential investors as the investment company prepares its own IPO for this summer.

After failing to turn its business around, hand-held device maker Palm Inc. has hired investment bankers to explore strategic options for the company - including its possible sale. Palm's shares, which have lost 35% of their value in the past year, rose 88 cents on Monday to close at $6.04, giving the company a market capitalization of about $1 billion.

Byline: BETSY MCKAY, DENNIS K. BERMAN AND VALERIE BAUERLEIN BEVERAGES PepsiCo's move on bottlers signals major shift in strategy PepsiCo Inc. PEP-N launched a $6-billion (U.S.) takeover bid for its [...]

Aerospace company Finmeccanica SpA is negotiating the acquisition of New Jersey-based defense company DRS Technologies Inc. Article discusses European aerospace and defense companies' acquisitions and investments in the U.S., and DRS Technologies' stock value and financial standing.

Faced with either bankruptcy or a forced sale, investment bank Bear Stearns Cos. agrees to be sold to J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. at the price of $2 a share in a deal worth around $236 million. Article discusses the ailing mortgage-backed securities sector and capital markets, and the Federal Reserve Board's efforts to lessen their impact on securities firms and investment banks.

Byline: DENNIS K. BERMAN, RANDALL SMITH, KATE KELLY Alan Schwartz of Wall Street firm Bear Stearns Cos. Inc. has long been counted on by chief executive officers as an investment [...]

Byline: SUSAN WARREN, SARAH ELLISON AND DENNIS K. BERMAN As Dow Jones & Co. continues to evaluate a bid from Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., a key member of the controlling [...]

TPG Capital LLC and Silver Lake have agreed to buy telecommunications equipment firm Avaya Inc. in a deal totaling approximately $8.2 bil. Shares will be sold for $17.50, representing a 28% premium.

Blackstone Group's initial public offering statement to the Securities and Exchange Commission was a much anticipated event on Wall Street. The disclosure that its earnings over the past five years exceeded $6 billion, was significant for a private-equity fund which generally operates in relative obscurity.

Nextel Partners Inc. of the United States is asking to be acquired by Sprint Nextel Corp. of the United States. Sprint Nextel Corp. already owns a 31 percent stake in the telecommunications company, however they are not likely to agree on a valuation price, highlighting the role of the appraiser in valuation.

French food and beverage manufacturer Danone S.A. is hoping to fend off a potential bid from U.S.-based PepsiCo Inc. It is thought that such a bid would face opposition from the French government as well as Danone's management. An additional obstacle facing PepsiCo is said to be Danone's bylaw requiring that any company or individual wishing to control more than 12% of its voting rights, must be in possession of at least 66% of Danone shares.

China National Offshore Oil Corp., a state-owned petroleum company has prepared a bid to acquire Unocal Corp. of the United States. Acquisition concerns remain about United States energy policy and the nature of a state-run firm acquiring a private equity company.

Evercore Partners Inc. of the United States is planning an initial public offering. The financial-advisory boutique is a small organization that is nine years old, specializing in advice on mergers and restructuring and is also an investment house.

Lazard Brothers & Company Ltd. of the United Kingdom is launching an $854 million initial public offering, ending private control of the investment bank. The equity value of Lazard Brothers & Company Ltd. is approximately $2.5 billion.

Bruce Wasserstein of Lazard's is planning an initial public offering for the investment bank that could raise approximately $945 million. The success of the stock float could give Mr. Wasserstein a clear management win within the company.

SunGard Data Systems Inc. of the United States is being acquired by 7 private-equity companies for $10.8 billion. Shares soared closing at $34.36, up 8.9 percent, at 4 p.m. Monday on the New York Stock Exchange.

BAE SYSTEMS PLC has agreed to acquire United Defense Industries Inc. for $3.97 billion, increasing the British military contractors presence in the United States.

Unocal Corp. is ripe for a takeover with ChevronTexaco Corp. considering a bid for the ninth largest oil and natural gas company in the United States.

Federated Department Stores Inc. will acquire May Department Stores Co. in an agreement analysts say will bring efficiency to both companies and boost the department- store sector. Details are forthcoming.

Lazard investment bank has filed for an initial public offering, making public Lazard's financial information.

Investment bank Lazard is planning an intial public offering and has therefore revealed its finances.

Honeywell International Inc. has agreed to acquire Novar PLC for $1.53 billion. It is a strategic merger to prevent a hostile takeover by a smaller company.

Michel David-Weill and Bruce Wasserstein are said to be approaching a compromise on Wasserstein's plan to float the historically private investment firm on the New York Stock Exchange. David-Weill, the chairman of the firm, approved the initial public offering in October, but only under the condition that Wasserstein, Lazard's operational head, should resign if the offer had not been made by the end of June 2005. It is expected that David-Weill is now readying to alter those conditions, pushing back the deadline to the end of March 2006.

Successful Connecticut-based financier Edward Lampert has worked with Alan Lacy, chief executive officer of Sears, Roebuck and Co., to arrange the merger of Kmart Holding Corp. with Sears. The consolidation of the discount retailer with the department store chain is expected to propel the two companies back to their former positions as industry leaders.

BT Group PLC is in negotiations to acquire Infonet Services Corp. for $950 million.

Michel David-Weill, Chairman of the Board at Lazard Brothers and Company Inc. and a descendant of one of the company's founding families, has stated publicly that he would not oppose a plan for the investment bank to launch an initial public offering. However, in a letter to Bruce Wasserstein, the Lazard executive behind the plan, David-Weill has added that his approval comes with the stipulation that Wasserstein resign from the company if the initial public offering fails or doesn't take place by June 30, 2005. The communication is the most recent chapter in an ongoing dispute between the two company officials.

Cendant Corp. plans to acquire Orbitz L.L.C. for $1.2 billion, greatly influencing the online travel business. The shares would be valued at $28. Its current market value is $20.77 a share.

Joseph Nacchio, former CEO of Qwest Communications International Inc. may face civil charges in relation to alleged improper accounting procedures being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Qwest has already agreed to a preliminary settlement with the SEC for $250 million in settlement of securities fraud charges.

Daniel Snyder, owner of the NFL's Washington Redskins has slowly acquired a 9% interest in Six Flags Inc. A master marketer, Mr. Snyder said he hopes to be able to influence management to maximize the company's assets. It could use the help, as stock value is near an all-time low.

While an acquisition of General Motors Acceptance Corp., the finance arm of GM, might inject capital into the struggling company and thus help improve GM's credit rating, as of yet there is no guarantee that the purchaser would continue the current financing arrangements between the two companies.

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission and the Congress are examining how Chinese companies have been aided in getting access to U.S. stock markets by way of mergers with shell companies. A crackdown on the so-called 'reverse takeover' market is planned.