Finance & Capital Management

New York -- Retail and consumer merger and acquisition activity in the United States during the third quarter of 2014 was driven by the highest volume of mega deals (deals with a value of over $1 billion) in at least seven years, leading to overall transaction value jumping significantly during the quarter when compared to the year ago period, according to PwC’s U.S. retail and consumer deals insights Q3 2014 report.   

Responding to the Ebola virus that has ravaged West Africa, RetailROI has launched a major campaign to help fight the disease in Liberia. Working with its partner charities operating in Liberia, including More Than Me and Love In Action, the #RetailFightsEbola campaign is rallying retailers, manufacturers and individuals to provide much-needed medical and hygienic supplies to Liberia.

RetailROI’s goals are two-fold:

In its 10th year, the Top Redevelopers survey continues to underscore the industry sea change from ground-up new-builds to redeveloping existing assets. Each year, the names of our Top Redevelopers may change, but their goals remain the same: maximize shopping center portfolios by keeping each asset current, vibrant and viable.

Dallas --SRS Real Estate Partners has introduced San Francisco’s Investment Services Group, led by capital markets industry veteran Michael Federle. Federle has been hired as senior VP of the new team, which will be tasked with representing institutions, developers, and high-net-worth individuals in the sale, acquisition, and financing of quality real estate assets.



Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is reportedly reappointing Scott Price as president and CEO of its Asia business. According to Bloomberg, Wal-Mart will let Price, who previously held the position from 2009 until June 2014, work from the retailer’s U.S. headquarters.  

St. Petersburg, Fla. -- HSN Inc. beat Wall Street expectations for profit and revenue in the third quarter of fiscal 2014. Net income totaled $39.5 million, down 6% from $42.1 million in the prior year period.   A higher effective tax rate helped decrease profits at HSN. Net sales rose 5% to $837.5 million from $798.9 million. Digital sales were up 7% and mobile sales increased 37%, with mobile now representing 16% of HSN’s total business.  

Tailwinds from specialty pharmacy and increased generic utilization lifted CVS Health up on Tuesday, as the company posted net revenues of $35 billion, representing an increase of 9.7% for the three months ended Sept. 30.

Woonsocket, R.I. -- CVS Health Corp. on Tuesday reported slightly higher-than-expected quarterly profit, helped in part by growth in sales of specialty drugs. Net income decreased 24% to $900 million from $1.21 billion in the year-ago period, primarily due to a $521 million pre-tax loss on the early extinguishment of debt.