Acquisitions

Los Angeles billionaire Ron Burkle and his Yucaipa Cos. private-equity firm reported an 8.3% stake in Barnes & Noble Inc., the world's largest bookseller, and may seek talks with the company. Burkle intends to monitor Barnes & Noble's performance and consider the option to discuss strategic opportunities with the company's board or executives, according to a regulatory filing Friday.

What a difference a year makes. With the virtual collapse of credit markets and the drying up of money from private equity firms, 2008 turned out to be a very slow year for mergers and acquisitions. Globally, there were 37,445 deals, totaling $3.3 trillion, down 29% from record volume in 2007, according to Dealogic, a data research firm in New York. In the United States the value of deals dropped 29% to $1.1 trillion.

Say goodbye to IndyMac. The name, at least. The investors buying failed IndyMac Federal Bank from regulators intend to rename the Pasadena savings and loan, although they haven't yet picked a new name, a spokesman said Monday. The old name is "obviously" a liability, said George Sard, a spokesman for the investment group, IMB Management Holdings. IndyMac was one of the largest bank failures in U.S. history, brought down last summer by soured variable-rate mortgages and a run on deposits.

AEG, the company that owns and operates the budding entertainment hub L.A. Live, plans to announce today that it has secured Panasonic System Solutions Co. as a founding sponsor for the venue, despite the difficulties of attracting advertisers in the current economy. Panasonic will be one of eight sponsors committing to multimillion-dollar contracts over several years. Others include Coca-Cola Co., American Express Co. and Wachovia Corp. Details of the Panasonic deal were not disclosed. L.A.

The Federal Trade Commission on Monday asked a federal judge to halt the integration of Wild Oats Markets Inc. and Whole Foods Market Inc. as part of a continuing legal battle over the 2007 deal that combined the two natural-grocery chains. The FTC wants a U.S. District Court judge to force Whole Foods to stop any integration activities while one of multiple disputes over its acquisition of Wild Oats is handled in court.

After several tumultuous years of failed bids and aborted takeovers, notorious rap music label Death Row was plucked off the auction block once more, this time by a Canadian entertainment company that offered $18 million. Toronto-based WIDEawake Entertainment Group submitted the winning bid to U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles against competitors Warner Music Group and Conquest Media Group.

Maguire Properties Inc. founder Robert F. Maguire increased his stake in downtown Los Angeles' largest office landlord to 9.8% and said he might seek talks with the company, investors or potential partners. Maguire, 73, who quit Maguire Properties as chairman and chief executive in May, bought 1.56 million shares of the Los Angeles-based company's common stock for about $2.99 million from Dec. 9 through Jan. 13, he said Thursday in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Pfizer Inc. would pay about $68 billion to acquire Wyeth in a bid reviewed Sunday by boards for the two drug companies, according to people familiar with the talks. The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal reported that the deal could be announced before the markets open today. Wyeth shareholders would get $50.19, including $33 in cash and 0.985 Pfizer shares, one source said. That's a 29% premium on Wyeth's price Thursday, before word of the talks became public.

No. 1 drug maker Pfizer Inc. said Monday that it was buying No. 12 Wyeth for $68 billion in a deal that would quickly boost Pfizer's revenue and profit and transform it overnight into a more diversified company less reliant on its dwindling drug pipeline.

Swiss drug maker Roche Holding surprised Wall Street with plans for a lower-than-expected and hostile $42.1-billion buyout offer for Genentech Inc. on Friday, a move some consider a tactic to force negotiations with the biotechnology behemoth. The $86.50-a-share offer, $2.50 less than an offer rejected in July, sparked some concern from analysts that key personnel at the biotech pioneer could leave, depending on any potential deal.