Microsoft pays 85 pct premium to buy aQuantive

(Reuters) - Microsoft of Redmond, Washington said it would acquire
aQuantive based in nearby Seattle to expand the software
giant's push into Internet advertising through its tools for
managing the buying and selling of online ads.




Aquantive shares closed at $35.87 on Thursday on Nasdaq.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Iomed says agrees to be acquired by ReAble Therapeutics

(Reuters) - The deal is valued at about $22 million and represents a premium of about 38 percent over Iomed's Thursday closing price of $1.99.



Following the acquisition, Iomed will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of ReAble, the statement added.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Ford Motor Credit, Dynegy Lead Companies Selling $28.2 Billion of Bonds

(Bloomberg) -- Ford Motor Credit Co., the profitable
financing arm of the second-largest U.S. automaker, and power-
plant owner Dynegy Inc. led borrowers in selling $28.2 billion of
bonds this week as yield premiums reached the lowest in 12 weeks.

Sales compare with $30.3 billion in all of last week, and
exceed the 2007 weekly average of $23.8 billion, according to
data compiled by Bloomberg. Ford Motor Co.'s unit issued $1.5
billion of debt as its bonds rallied, and Dynegy sold $1.65
billion of high-yield, high-risk, or junk, securities.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

China Lets Yuan Rise Faster, Raises Interest Rates Before Paulson Talks

(Bloomberg) -- China widened the yuan's daily
trading limit against the U.S. dollar, allowing faster gains in
the currency to cool the economy and cut a record trade surplus
that has strained ties with the U.S. and Europe.

``Widening the band is to further improve the yuan's
mechanism, but it doesn't mean the yuan will fluctuate by a lot
or appreciate by a large magnitude,'' the People's Bank of China
said in a statement in Beijing. The yuan will be allowed to move
as much as 0.5 percent either side of a daily fixing rate
against the dollar, up from 0.3 percent, the central bank said.


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News

S.Africa's 3-month T-Bill rate up at 8.64 pct

(Reuters) - The average discount rate for South African three-month Treasury Bills rose to 8.64 percent on Friday from 8.38 percent last week.

The average yield was 8.83 percent from 8.56 percent, the Reserve Bank said.


Read more at Reuters Africa

Moody's Ratings Double Talk May Cost U.S. Taxpayers $3.6 Billion on Bonds

(Bloomberg) -- When California sells taxable bonds
to foreigners, Moody's Investors Service says the state's credit
is Aaa, the highest possible. When the state sells tax-free debt
to U.S. citizens, its creditworthiness is four levels lower.

The discrepancy may cost taxpayers as much as $3.6 billion
in extra interest on bonds sold during 2006, said Matt Fabian,
an analyst at Municipal Market Advisors, a research firm in
Concord, Massachusetts. New York-based Moody's doesn't allow
towns and cities to apply the higher rankings to tax-exempt
financings that make up 90 percent of the $2.4 trillion in
outstanding municipal bonds.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

Deadlock at climate talks mars Kyoto hopes

(Reuters) - Deadlock over how to bring the United States and big developing nations to the climate negotiating table frustrated U.N.-hosted talks this week, meant to lay the groundwork for a conference in Indonesia in December.

The talks among 166 nations conclude on Friday, three weeks before a G8 summit where global warming will feature.


Read more at Reuters Africa