Ten years ago, at the height of the dot-com boom, AOL and Time Warner Inc. cobbled together an audacious merger of two of the world’s foremost information giants, one old and one young.

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Comcast Corporation (CMCSA) is expected to pay $13.75 billion in cash and assets to gain control of NBC Universal from General Electric Company (GE). The new NBC Universal also is expected to borrow $9.1 billion, part of which will be used to cover the $5.8 billion that GE is paying for Vivendi SA’s 20% stake in [...]

(CMCSA) Comcast Corporation to Pay $13.75Billion for NBC

Retailers will get a lot of attention next week as the holiday shopping season heats up.

Retailers will get a lot of attention next week as the holiday shopping season heats up.

Here's a question that's much harder to answer than it should be: What is AOL?

Yes, we all know that eventually, AOL is going to be nothing but a media company -- a "Time Inc. for the 21st Century," as one exec put it.

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Comcast Corporation (CMCSA) is expected to pay $13.75 billion in cash and assets to gain control of NBC Universal from General Electric Company (GE).[More...]

Comcast Corporation (CMCSA) is expected to pay $13.75 billion in cash and assets to gain control of NBC Universal from General Electric Company (GE).

The new NBC Universal also is expected to borrow $9.1 billion, part of which will be used to cover the $5.8 billion that GE is paying for Vivendi SA's 20% stake in NBC Universal. That company includes the flagship NBC TV network, the Telemundo Spanish-language network, Universal Pictures and theme parks, and about two dozen cable channels such as Bravo and CNBC.

GE has the option to sell half of its 49% stake in the new NBC Universal three and a half years after the deal closes. It may sell the other half after seven years.

This week, GE convinced Vivendi to sell its stake in NBC Universal, and paved the way for Comcast to buy the entertainment company.

Comcast is pursuing the transaction because of its desire to control both content and distribution, a strategy that hasn't been successful in the media industry. If the deal gets approved by regulators, Comcast would oversee assets with revenue of $51 billion in 2008, more than Time Warner Inc (TWX), Walt Disney Company (DIS) or News Corporation (NWS).

General Electric Company operates as a technology, media, and financial services company worldwide. GE’s NBC Universal segment engages in the production and distribution of films and television programs, operation of television stations and cable/satellite television networks, as well as theme parks.

We currently have a Neutral recommendation on General Electric.

Read the full analyst report on "GE"
Read the full analyst report on "CMCSA"
Read the full analyst report on "TWX"
Read the full analyst report on "DIS"
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There is no shortage of candidates, but the following corporate marriages have to be in any discussion of the decade's worst deals.

Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA) will acquire a 51% stake in General Electric Co.’s (NYSE: GE) NBC Universal Inc. for $13.75 billion in cash and assets, giving the cable giant lucrative cable channels including SyFy, Bravo and the USA Network, as well as Universal Pictures and its related theme parks in California, Florida and Japan.[More...]

This feature originally appeared at 24/7 Wall St. It was written by Jon Ogg and Douglas A. McIntyre.

24/7 Wall St. has prepared its list of the ten brands that will disappear in 2010. This list is based on a review of each firm’s financial situation and other operating data, the current and ongoing value of its brand, and whether the company that controls that brand can sell its assets.

This year a number of famous brands have closed or their parents have announced that they will be shut down shortly. This includes decades-old magazines like Gourmet and famous car brands like Pontiac. The recession took whatever economic value these brands had left and destroyed it.

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• UBS: The Worst Brand Performance In 2009
• Goldman's Brand Is Officially Trashed (GS)
• AOL Unveils New Brand, New Logos (TWX)

AOL wants 2,500 employees -- a third of its headcount -- to volunteer for layoffs. Today is the first day AOL employees can tell management that yes, they'd like to take a buyout.

For those who take the offer, their last day at work will be January 1.

Read the rest of this story »

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• Tim Armstrong Needs Hip Surgery (AOL)
• AOL's Huge Day Getting Smaller (TWX)
• What Wall Street Thinks Of AOL And Tim Armstrong (AOL, TWX)

Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) closed yesterday at $31.11. So far the stock has hit a 52-week low of $17.81 and 52-week high of $33.45. Time Warner stock has been showing support around 30.64 and resistance in the 31.60 range. Technical indicators for the stock are Bullish and S&P gives TWX a neutral 3 STAR (out of...(Click the story link or go to http://www.marketintelligencecenter.com for the full story)

The General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) announced after nine months of grueling talks that NBC Universal would go to Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA). Comcast is the largest cable operator in the US.

The deal valued NBC Universal at $30 billion, with GE owning 49% and Comcast the remaining controlling stake of 51% of the about to be created joint venture company. While NBC Universal will retain its name for the time being, Comcast could change the name later.

The deal gives Comcast a much wider footprint and a huge portfolio of new content. Initially though, GE had wanted to waltz with Time Warner Inc.(NYSE: TWX) on the NBC deal, but eventually chose to finalize the deal with Comcast.

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Comcast Corp. (GE) NBC Universal Inc. for $13.75 billion in cash and assets, giving the cable giant lucrative cable channels including SyFy, Bravo and the USA Network, as well as Universal Pictures and its related theme parks in California, Florida and Japan. But for GE, the deal is a precursor to and eventual ...

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