WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - It has been another big week for merger announcements, keeping up the brisk pace of M&A activity so far in 2015. Several multi-billion deals were announced this week, including an agreement to combine Staples (SPLS) and Office Depot (ODP), as well as a major purchase by pharma giant Pfizer (PFE).
Let's take a quick tour of some recent M&A headlines:
1. Pfizer To Buy Hospira
Drug maker Pfizer announced a deal to acquire pharmaceutical and medication delivery company Hospira, Inc. (HSP) in a deal worth around $17 billion. The deal is likely to be a win for Pfizer in a relatively short period of time - the acquisition is expected to improve the bottom line in the first full year following the close of the purchase.
2. Staples To Acquire Office Depot
Office supply retailers Staples and Office Depot announced a deal to combine their operations.
The $6.3-billion pact will likely undergo stringent scrutiny by antitrust regulators, however. A similar deal in 1997 was scuttled by the authorities, though the market for retail was obviously very different nearly 20 years ago.
3. Sysco To Sell 11 US Foods Distribution Centers
Speaking of anti-trust concerns: Sysco Corp. (SYY) announced that it agreed to sell 11 US Foods facilities to Performance Food Group. The move is part of its pending merger with U.S. Foods - a necessary divestiture to get that deal done.
4. Mylan To Buy India's Famy Care Businesses
Generic drug maker Mylan, Inc. (MYL) is going to spend about $800 million to acquire certain female reproductive health care businesses from India's Famy Care Ltd. The move will help Mylan tap the large women's health care market in Europe.
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