UPDATE 1-Vodafone faces renewed criticism on strategy, pay

(Reuters) - Efficient Capital Structures , an activist investor
which has called on Vodafone to return up to 38 billion pounds
to shareholders by spinning off its 45 percent
stake in U.S. joint venture Verizon Wireless and issuing bonds,
said the company had no clear strategy in the United States.




It was responding to a report in the Financial Times
newspaper that Vodafone had considered buying its joint venture
partner, Verizon Communications .


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Vodafone mulls $160 bln bid for Verizon - report

(Reuters) - NEW YORK, July 16 - Wireless telecommunications company Vodafone Group Plc has been considering a $160 billion takeover bid for Verizon Communications Inc. , the Financial Times reported on Monday on its Alphaville Web site.



The report triggered a 12.5 percent jump in Verizon's share price in pre-market trade.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

GE, Pearson drop Dow Jones takeover pursuit

(Reuters) - NEW YORK, June 21 - General Electric Co. and Pearson Plc said on Thursday they will not pursue a joint offer for publisher Dow Jones & Co. Inc. , removing a potential challenge to a $5-billion bid by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. .



GE, the world's second-largest company by market capitalization, and Pearson, publisher of the Financial Times, said they had held exploratory talks over combining their financial news outlets with Dow Jones, home to the Wall Street Journal.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Apple, Ford Motor, Medivation, Netflix, Tyson Foods: U.S. Equity Preview

(Bloomberg) -- The following is a list of companies
whose shares may have unusual price changes in U.S. exchanges.
This preview includes news that broke after exchanges closed June
8. Stock symbols are in parentheses after company names. Share
prices are as of 9 a.m. New York time.

Apple Inc. (AAPL US) rose $1.61, or 1.3 percent, to $126.10
in trading before the open of U.S. exchanges. The Financial Times
reported that the maker of the iPod music player is in talks with
some of Hollywood's largest studios to start an online film
rental service. The service would help Apple compete for
customers with cable and satellite television companies, the
newspaper said. Apple representatives didn't immediately return
phone calls from Bloomberg made before regular business hours.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Dow Jones shareholder sees $60 bid attractive: FT

(Reuters) - "The offer to purchase Dow Jones at $60 in our view represents a fairly attractive transaction price. I find it hard to believe the company itself has a plan to get the shares to $60," the Financial Times quoted Brian Rogers, the chairman and chief investment officer of T. Rowe Price saying. The firm holds about 15 percent of Dow Jones according to Reuters data.




A spokesman for T. Rowe told Reuters: "We've said all along that as long-term investors in Dow Jones stock we're gratified that other investors have recognized the value that we always thought was there. We think it is a reasonable offer to take under consideration."


Read more at Reuters.com Business News