Mergers and acquisitions

This morning, OfficeMax and Office Depot confirmed that they're merging to better compete in the marketplace.

While many market analysts have been touting the recent spate of mergers and acquisitions as a sign of business confidence, the trend might be more out of necessity.

Multibillion-dollar deals involving Dell, American Airlines and Heinz may portend another boom in giant mergers and buyouts. But historians warn most mergers go bust.

On Thursday, American Airlines and US Airways officially announced their long-rumored merger. And Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway said it made a match with Ketchup giant Heinz, in a deal worth billions.

Investors are digesting a mega airlines merger and major ketchup acquisition this morning. Is the activity a coincidence or part of a larger trend?

American is emerging from bankruptcy. US Airways needs a big brother. Will the latest deal to create the biggest airline happen this time?

OpenTable, one of the biggest online restaurant reservation sites, will pay $10 million for Foodspotting and its hordes of amateur photographers.

Private-equity group Blackstone plans a public stock offering of SeaWorld Entertainment. The home of Shamu is now profitable but heavily indebted.

It's another sign the global business world has become less centralized and more diffuse. The company poised to buy the New York Stock Exchange for more than $8 billion is based not in a world financial center, but in Atlanta.

America’s biggest airline, Delta, is reported to be bidding for a big stake in Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic. The deal could lead to Branson giving up control of the carrier he founded.