Deals of the Hour

Trying to find out what's the deal with the world, tracking what's on sale and who's talking about it on Twitter. Update hourly.

Deals of the Hour / November 9, 2010, 9:41 am

Goldman fined for not disclosing SEC Wells Notices

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:GS) was fined Tuesday for failing to disclose two "Wells Notices" from the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority said it fined the investment bank $ ... (Source: Marketwatch 2010-11-09T17:03:15Z)

APEC nations discuss Pacific region trade zone

(11-08) 04:00 PST Yokohama, Japan -- Officials from 21 Pacific Rim economies, including the United States, China and Japan, began meetings Sunday that could move the region toward a bold goal - creating a Pacific-wide free-trade zone. The Asia-Pacific ... (Source: San Francisco Gate 2010-11-08T15:45:42Z)

Robbers steal new 'Call of Duty' video game in Md.

Authorities in northeast Maryland say robbers have stolen more than 100 copies of the highly anticipated "Call of Duty: Black Ops" video game, which doesn't go on sale until Tuesday. The Harford County Sheriff's Office says at least two men were involved ... (Source: AP - msnbc.com 2010-11-08T15:09:54Z)

2nd UPDATE: AIG Closes ALICO Sale; Treasury Seen Making Profit

(Adds Treasury comments, details on government stake estimate and background.) The U.S. Treasury Department said Monday it expects to earn a profit on its loans to and investments in American International Group Inc. (AIG), the troubled insurer it helped ... (Source: Wall Street Journal 2010-11-01T19:21:35Z)

Britain, China sign trade deals but rights issue rears head

BEIJING (AFP) – The premiers of Britain and China on Tuesday oversaw trade deals worth more than a billion dollars but human rights cast a shadow over Prime Minister David Cameron's bid to strengthen economic ties. Cameron -- travelling with Britain's ... (Source: YAHOO! 2010-11-09T17:03:15Z)

Google eyes other YouTube-sized deals

Google Inc. is ready to do more deals the size of YouTube and DoubleClick, according to its chief dealmaker. "The world changes really quickly, and companies that were small two years ago are huge today," corporate development vice president David Lawee ... (Source: Birmingham Business Journal 2010-11-08T15:45:42Z)

Sara Lee will sell North American bakery business

Sara Lee Corp. said Tuesday that it will sell its North American Fresh Bakery business to Grupo Bimbo for $959 million. Sara Lee, based in Downers Grove, Ill., said the sale will allow it to "aggressively invest" in other operations, including its meat ... (Source: Birmingham Business Journal 2010-11-09T15:44:31Z)

Hastings, Bellevue plants part of Sara Lee's sale to Grupo Bimbo

Sara Lee bakeries in Hastings and Bellevue are among those changing ownership as Sara Lee Corp. sold its North American Fresh Bakery unit to baking company Grupo Bimbo for $959 million. Sara Lee is concentrating on its coffee and meat businesses. The maker ... (Source: Lincoln Journal Star 2010-11-09T15:15:53Z)

AIG 's Sale Of Alico To MetLife Complete; Price Tag $16.2 Billion

American International Group Inc. ( AIG ) said Monday it has completed its $16.2 billion sale of its second-largest foreign life-insurance business, which completed with last week's initial public offering of a stake in AIA Group Ltd. (1299.HK), meaning it ... (Source: NASDAQ 2010-10-30T23:55:59Z)

Vodafone profit jumps on sale of Softbank stake

British telecoms company Vodafone reported Tuesday that net profit for the first half of the year jumped 56 percent to 7.50 billion pounds ($12.12 billion), thanks to higher revenue and the sale of a business. The company lifted its outlook. Vodafone said ... (Source: AP - msnbc.com 2010-11-09T12:24:05Z)

Sara Lee to sell North American bakery business

Sara Lee Corp. said Tuesday that it will sell its North American Fresh Bakery business to Mexico's Grupo Bimbo for $959 million. Both Sara Lee and Grupo Bimbo operate bakeries in Colorado. Sara Lee, based in Downers Grove, Ill., said the sale will allow it ... (Source: Birmingham Business Journal 2010-11-09T15:58:50Z)

Heiner's owner slims down in $959M bakery sale

NEW YORK — The parent company for Heiner's Bakery is cutting the apron strings on its unit that bakes bread, selling it to Mexican bakery giant Grupo Bimbo for $959 million as it looks to concentrate more on its coffee and meat businesses. Sara Lee, the ... (Source: Herald-Dispatch 2010-11-09T16:13:09Z)

APEC debates having power to forge free-trade deals

YOKOHAMA, Japan — Pacific Rim economies are debating whether to give APEC the power to negotiate free-trade pacts, a move that could pave the way for a massive free-trade zone that lowers tariffs on goods from electronics to food. Members of the Asia ... (Source: Denver Post 2010-11-09T08:35:01Z)

UPDATE: Goldman Faces Lawsuit On $1.2 Billion Hudson CDO Deals- Filing

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. ( GS ) faces a class-action lawsuit over two collateralized debt obligations it packaged and sold in 2006 and 2007, according to its latest quarterly regulatory filing. The CDO deals, called Hudson Mezzanine Funding 1 and 2 ... (Source: NASDAQ 2010-11-09T17:17:34Z)

Goldman fined $650,000 for disclosure lapse

Industry regulators have fined Goldman Sachs $650,000 for failing to disclose that two of its brokers, including the executive accused of leading the mortgage securities deal that brought civil fraud charges against the firm, were under investigation by ... (Source: AP - msnbc.com 2010-11-09T16:56:06Z)

UPDATE 4-Vodafone ups outlook; reveals $5bn Japanese sale

LONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Vodafone ( VOD.L ), the world's largest mobile operator by revenue, raised its full-year outlook and announced the latest stage in its disposal programme, a 3.1 billion pound sale of interests in Japanese carrier SoftBank. The ... (Source: Reuters 2010-11-09T15:37:21Z)

UPDATE: AIG Closes Alico Sale; Treasury Seen Making Profit

American International Group Inc. ( AIG ) said Monday it has completed the $16.2 billion sale of its second-largest foreign life-insurance business ALICO, which when combined with last week's initial public offering of a stake in AIA Group Ltd. (1299.HK ... (Source: NASDAQ 2010-11-01T16:58:25Z)

Robbers steal new 'Call of Duty' video game in Md.

BEL AIR, Md. (AP) — Authorities in northeast Maryland say robbers have stolen more than 100 copies of the highly anticipated "Call of Duty: Black Ops" video game, which doesn't go on sale until Tuesday. The Harford County Sheriff's Office says at ... (Source: The Oakland Press 2010-11-09T10:00:55Z)

Vodafone ups outlook; reveals $5 billion Japanese sale

LONDON (Reuters) - Vodafone ( VOD.L ), the world's largest mobile operator by revenue, raised its full-year outlook and announced the latest stage in its disposal program, a 3.1 billion pound sale of interests in Japanese carrier SoftBank. The British ... (Source: Reuters 2010-11-09T15:44:31Z)

Ashland selling Dublin-based distribution unit

Ashland Inc. is selling its Dublin-based global distribution business to private equity firm TPG Capital LP for $930 million. Ashland spokesman Jim Vitak said Monday the deal should not affect staffing in Dublin, where the specialty chemical producer ... (Source: Birmingham Business Journal 2010-11-08T18:30:20Z)

Sara Lee slims down in $959M bakery sale to Bimbo

Sara Lee is cutting the apron strings on its unit that bakes bread, selling it to Mexican bakery giant Grupo Bimbo for $959 million as it looks to concentrate more on its coffee and meat businesses. The maker of Jimmy Dean sausages and Sara Lee breads said ... (Source: AP - msnbc.com 2010-11-09T15:30:12Z)

Buy These Stocks Before Google Does

Big G is about to get even bigger. In an interview with Bloomberg last week, Google 's (Nasdaq: GOOG ) David Lawee -- the search giant's head of corporate development -- made it clear that his company isn't done shopping. "The world changes really quickly ... (Source: Motley Fool 2010-11-09T15:23:02Z)

Ashland jumps on distribution unit sale for $930M

Shares of chemical maker Ashland Inc. jumped Monday after the company announced the sale of its distribution business to private investment firm TPG Capital for $930 million. The distribution business is Ashland's largest, with 2,000 employees in the U.S ... (Source: AP - msnbc.com 2010-11-08T23:30:59Z)

Could APEC become a free-trade negotiator?

YOKOHAMA, Japan — Pacific Rim economies are debating whether to give APEC the power to negotiate free trade pacts, a move that could pave the way for a massive free trade zone that lowers tariffs on goods from electronics to food. Members of the Asia ... (Source: Houston Chronicle 2010-11-09T06:26:10Z)

Ashland selling distribution unit

Ashland Inc. is selling its Dublin, Ohio-based global distribution business to private equity firm TPG Capital LP for $930 million. Ashland spokesman Jim Vitak said Monday the deal should not affect staffing in Dublin, where the specialty chemical producer ... (Source: Birmingham Business Journal 2010-11-08T20:39:11Z)

Sara Lee shrinks with sale of bread business

By Martinne Geller NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sara Lee Corp <SLE.N> will sell its North American bakery business to Mexico's Grupo Bimbo <BIMBOA.MX> for $925 million, the latest move to shrink what was once a sprawling company that sold everything from hot dogs ... (Source: msnbc.com 2010-11-09T16:27:28Z)

More than 100 copies of Call of Duty: Black Ops stolen in Maryland

Patience is a virtue that some video game fanatics apparently don't have. With the hugely anticipated Call of Duty: Black Ops going on sale at midnight, two men jumped the gun when they stole more than 100 copies of the game from a retailer Saturday ... (Source: Los Angeles Times 2010-11-08T19:34:46Z)

Britain's Cameron focuses on economic ties on China trip with large business delegation

BEIJING - British Prime Minister David Cameron focused on expanding business ties as his country's largest ever official delegation visited China on Tuesday in the latest European drive to win foreign contracts and spur sluggish home economies. Last year ... (Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune 2010-11-09T13:35:40Z)

Google to Make More Deals Like YouTube, DoubleClick

Nov. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Google Inc. is likely to buy more companies about the size of YouTube and DoubleClick, its two largest acquisitions, to help offer more online services, said the company's head of mergers and acquisitions. "The world changes ... (Source: BusinessWeek 2010-11-05T21:47:10Z)

UPDATE 4-UK trade push into China yields Rolls-Royce deal

BEIJING, Nov 9 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron's efforts to double trade with China by 2015 received a boost on Tuesday when aero-engine maker Rolls-Royce ( RR.L ) won a $1.2-billion order from China Eastern Airlines. Cameron, making his ... (Source: Reuters 2010-11-09T17:03:15Z)

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