Philip Morris International, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes in overseas markets, is in talks to reunite with Altria Group more than 10 years after the tobacco giants split their operations. The deal would be the biggest since AT&T Inc. bid for Time Warner in 2016. Philip Morris had a market value of nearly $126.4 billion at the close of trading on Aug. 23, before speculation of a possible deal gained traction, while Altria was worth about $86.7 billion. The companies broke apart more than a decade ago, bowing to pressure from U.S. investors who wanted higher dividends and more share buybacks. The move was also pitched as a way to set free faster-growing overseas operations while the U.S. business was entangled in smoker lawsuits. But times have changed. Altria has recently diversified its portfolio with investments in vaping and cannabis, giving the company more growth potential even as fewer people smoke cigarettes. Some analysts and investors have argued that the companies should get back together, a move that would give Philip Morris more U.S. exposure. The transaction would give Philip Morris roughly 58% ownership of the new company, with Altria holding the rest, according to a person familiar with the terms who asked not to be identified because the details haven’t been made public. They are considering a no-premium deal based on the companies’ closing share prices on Aug. 23, according to the person. The companies would aim to close the deal within six... Continue reading at 'Advertising Age'
[ Advertising Age | 2019-08-27 18:36:32 UTC ]
Shares of AT&T Inc. and Time Warner Inc. were down Monday as investors didn’t appear thrilled by the proposed mega-merger announced over the weekend. In response to the $84.5-billion deal, Moody’s Investor Service said Monday it had placed AT&T’s credit rating on review for a possible... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-10-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Campaign 2016 updates: Donald Trump says Donald Trump says women accusing him 'will be sued after the election is over' Oct. 22, 2016, 11:42 a.m. Donald Trump hits the campaign trail in Gettysburg, Pa., while Hillary Clinton is in Philadelphia. Trump says of women accusers will be sued after the... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Saturday that his administration would seek to block a massive media merger between AT&T and Time Warner Inc. if he is elected president. The deal, which appears to be imminent, would turn telephone giant AT&T, a company already valued at... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nicholas Sparks is more than just a bestselling author of sappy romantic fiction; he's a pop culture phenomenon. A former pharmaceutical salesman from Omaha, Nebraska, Sparks has sold a reported 97 million books worldwide, and the films based on them have, so far, have grossed a total not far... Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2015-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The $4.4bn purchase by the US telecoms giant will help overcome the ad industry’s biggest problem Verizon buying AOL wasn’t the last deal we in agency land ever expected, but to most it’s come as a bit of a shock. It feels to me more like Apple buying Beats, than Comcast trying to merge with... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-05-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With Friday's theatrical release of 'Serena,' the acclaimed writer will have had two films based on his work appear since the beginning of the year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Don't expect Time Inc. to merge with any of its magazine rivals soon.Time Inc. CEO Joe Ripp told investors Thursday that no mergers would happen until at least June 2016, which is the two-year anniversary of Time Inc. spinning off from Time Warner."The safest thing is to wait two years," he... Continue reading at Advertising Age
[ Advertising Age | 2015-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Time Inc., the magazine publisher spun off of Time Warner Inc. last year, plunged in New York trading after its fourth-quarter results and 2015 forecast were worse than analysts expected. The shares... To view the full story, click the title link. Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2015-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google and Facebook continued to pour millions of dollars into federal political lobbying in the third quarter in attempts to influence U.S. lawmakers and have legislation written in their favor.Google spent US$3.94 million between July and September while Facebook spent $2.45 million, according... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2014-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gannett Co., the owner of USA Today, will split into two publicly traded companies, one focused on broadcasting and digital businesses and the other on publishing, it said today, following the trend that has swept the media business.Signaling its interest in digital investment, the company also... Continue reading at Advertising Age
[ Advertising Age | 2014-08-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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From one Adelaide evening paper to bidding for a US giant - Rupert Murdoch's life in acquisitionsRupert Murdoch created a global media empire from humble beginnings when he inherited Adelaide's The News from his father in the 1950s. More than 60 years and dozens of deals later, the 83-year-old... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The president of Simon & Schuster’s parent company, CBS Corp, has said the company is... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Shares in Time Inc., owner of People, Sports Illustrated and Time magazines, were off nearly 1% to $23.30 Monday, its first day of trading as a public company.The company's share price had tumbled about 4% after trading began but regained much of the lost ground during the afternoon.Time Inc. is... Continue reading at Advertising Age
[ Advertising Age | 2014-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Time Inc. shares fell, marring the first day of trading after a spinoff from Time Warner Inc., on concern that the company's singular focus on magazines will hinder growth prospects as demand for... To view the full story, click the title link. Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2014-06-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The multimedia empire's chief executive on video journalism, North Korea – and why he won't be taken over by a big rivalShane Smith stayed up late getting drunk with one of his presenters, and now he is exhausted, hungover and behind schedule. Bottles of spirits stand, taunting him, from a table... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Joe Ripp started his new job as CEO of Time Inc. only three weeks ago, but he's already caught the attention of staffers by saying the executive suite had for too long been a place "where ideas go to die." He'll need their imagination and commitment going forward as parent company Time Warner... Continue reading at Advertising Age
[ Advertising Age | 2013-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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J.K. Rowling's world of wizardry is coming back to the big screen—but without Harry Potter.Studio Warner Bros. announced Thursday that Ms. Rowling will write the screenplay for a movie based on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, her textbook about the magical universe she created in the... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2013-09-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ripp is a Time Inc. veteran, working at the magazine company from 1985 until 1999, serving as CFO from 1993. In 1999 he became CFO of Time Warner Inc. until its merger with America Online. Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2013-07-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple Inc., the world's biggest technology company, violated antitrust law by engaging in a scheme to fix the prices of electronic books, a federal judge ruled in a suit brought by the U.S. government.U.S. District Judge Denise Cote, who tried the case without a jury, ruled against Apple in a... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2013-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Time Inc. has named Martha Nelson as editor-in-chief of the media company. The company said Tuesday that Ms. Nelson is the first woman in the company's 90-year history to hold the role. She has worked for Time Inc. for 20 years and has been editorial director since 2010. She will assume the top... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2012-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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