Financial/Banking

The private equity firms that paid a premium to take Michaels private nearly a decade ago continue to gradually unwind their majority position in the nation’s largest arts and crafts retailer.

Irving, Texas – Some stockholders of The Michaels Companies Inc. intend sell 12.5 million shares of Michaels common stock. The selling Stockholders will receive all of the net proceeds from this offering.

No shares are being sold by the company. Goldman, Sachs & Co. will act as underwriter for the offering.
 

San Jose, Calif. – The upcoming spinoff of its PayPal unit may not be the only deal eBay Inc. has in the works.

According to Reuters, eBay is in advanced talks with private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners LP to acquire eBay’s enterprise business for close to $1 billion.

San Diego – Net income at warehouse club retailer PriceSmart Inc. stayed essentially flat at $21.2 million during the third quarter of fiscal 2015, compared to $21.3 million in the prior year period. Meanwhile, total revenues rose 13% to $697.1 million, from to $615 million.

Higher income taxes kept PriceSmart’s profits flat even as rising export sales and membership income boosted total revenues. Same-store sales increased 4% during June 2015, compared to the same month in the previous year.
 

A former chief financial officer of Walgreens is joining the board of directors at ConAgra Foods as the company deals with the interest of activist investors.

Phoenix -- DTZ, a leader in commercial real estate services, announced the $52 million sale of Crossroads Towne Center in North Las Vegas -- a 148,791-sq.-ft. neighborhood retail center located on 16.34 acres -- on behalf of the sellers, a company formed by The Eagle Group, Los Angeles. The buyer was a company formed by Cornerstone Advisers of Santa Monica, California.

The online checkout space keeps getting more crowded.

New York -- The online checkout space keeps getting more crowded.

American Express on Thursday launched Amex Express Checkout, an alternative online payment method that its U.S. card members can use to check out and pay on partnering websites and apps. Unlike other online payments tools currently in the marketplace, Amex Express Checkout does not require a card member to create or manage a new account.