Mergers and Acquisitions

The Ascena Retail Group is buying the owner of Ann Taylor and Loft in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $2.16 billion.

Endo International will spend about $8.05 billion to acquire Par Pharmaceutical as it expands its footprint in the generic drug market.

The Chemours Co., the company to be created by the spinoff of Dupont's Performance Chemicals unit, has named the eight members of its board of directors.

Portuguese officials are evaluating three bids submitted for a 61 percent stake in TAP Air Portugal as the government makes a second attempt to privatize the flag carrier.

Digital First Media, one of the largest U.S. newspaper publishers, says the company won't be sold and that CEO John Paton will step down.

Post Holdings Inc. said Friday it will merge two of its cereal businesses, headquarter them in Minnesota and close a New Jersey office as it separately grapples with a widening bird flu outbreak that has forced it to discontinue some products and tweak prices.

Beer and wine bottle maker Owens-Illinois is paying about $2.15 billion to buy the food and beverage glass container business of the Mexican company Vitro.

Cushman & Wakefield and DTZ say they will combine in a deal creating one of the world's largest real estate companies.

Swiss biotechnology company Syngenta said Friday that it has rejected a takeover offer from Monsanto Co., a bid that it said greatly undervalued its prospects.

Quanta Services is selling its fiber optic licensing operations to Crown Castle International Corp. for about $1 billion.

Sears Holdings announced its third real estate deal of the month on Thursday, saying it received $150 million after starting a joint venture with mall operator Macerich.

General Motors CEO Mary Barra is dismissing any talk of a possible merger with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

Volkswagen Group edged out General Motors again to take at least second place in the race to be the world's top-selling automaker.

Warehouse and distribution center operator Prologis Inc. says it has acquired KTR Capital Partners, which owns more than 300 industrial properties in the U.S.

Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis is promising to compromise in negotiations over the next installment of a bailout loan that would forestall Greece's possible exit from the European currency union.

Nestle SA says it is in exclusive negotiations to sell its Davigel frozen-food division to the Brakes Group, a European catering supplier.

Canadian gold mining companies Alamos Gold and AuRico Gold Inc. are merging in a deal valued at approximately $1.5 billion.