Mergers & Acquisitions

PALO ALTO, Calif. — HP announced that its board of directors has appointed Meg Whitman as president and CEO.

In addition, Ray Lane has moved from non-executive chairman to executive chairman of the board of directors, and the board intends to appoint a lead independent director promptly. These leadership appointments are effective immediately and follow the decision that Léo Apotheker step down as president and CEO and resign as a director of the company, the company reported.

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. said Friday that it has finalized its real estate transaction with Canadian retailer Zellers with the selection of 84 additional Zellers leases. Target Canada will open between 125 and 135 stores, most by 2013. The discounter also entered into a deal with Sobey’s, Canada’s second largest supermarket chain, to supply its stores with food.

New York City -- A late Thursday report by Bloomberg revealed that Border Group’s planned sale of its intellectual property to Barnes & Noble was delayed due to questions regarding customer privacy.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Martin Glenn, Manhattan, asked that privacy rights for 48 million customers be clarified. He adjourned the Thursday sale-approval hearing in order to explore a privacy expert’s claims that how Barnes & Noble used the acquired rights could violate customer privacy.

Chattanooga, Tenn. -- CBL & Associates Properties said Thursday that it has agreed to acquire Northgate Mall in CBL’s hometown of Chattanooga, for $11.5 million in cash.

The mall was listed for sale through an online auction. CBL anticipates closing on the transaction by Oct. 6.

Indianapolis -- The Finish Line reported Thursday that net income for the quarter ended Aug. 27 rose 24% to $20.9 million, compared with $16.8 million in the year-ago period.

Sales rose 10% to $331.5 million, beating Wall Street’s expectations of $321.9 million, and same-store sales surged 11%.

Dallas -- SRS Real Estate Partners said Friday that it has named Mark Kapnick senior VP in the firm’s New York office.

Kapnick will join SRS’ newly formed SRS Urban team, which focuses on the major urban retail markets in the United States. In the Metro New York market, he will help lead the SRS Urban push into landlord services and investment sales.

Kapnick was previously with Robert K. Futterman and Associates, first as director then senior managing director specializing in retail leasing and investment sales.
 

MINNEAPOLIS — Target's entry into Canada is nearing completion, as the company Friday finalized its real estate transaction with Zellers Inc. with the selection of 84 additional Zellers leases, bringing the total number of leases selected, including an initial group of 105 leases selected in May, to 189. From this second group, Target has acquired the leasehold interests for 29 locations, the vast majority of which will open as Target stores beginning in 2013. The remaining leases have been or will be sold to other Canadian retailers or back to landlords.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- A Friday report by Wall Street Journal said that Sears Holdings Corp. is in an active push to lease surplus space to other retailers. Its real estate division has listed on its website some 4,000 of its namesake and Kmart stores that have space for other merchants or retail operations to lease.