With the landscape littered with tech deals gone awry, we thought it might be worth mentioning a few significant transactions that, lo and behold, actually made it to closing Monday....

Unilever (UN), (UL) has benefited from the 'Path to Growth' strategy in terms of expanding margins, building momentum of key brands, rationalizing costs, and streamlining the asset base. Impressively, the underlying operating margin is rising despite rising input costs in the first half of 2008. In addition, the developing and emerging markets are expected to continue driving incremental topline growth. Unilever has simplified the management hierarchy whereby the dual chairman structure has been replaced by a structure comprising a single chief executive officer and a non-executive Chairman. The organizational changes will expedite decision-making, improve execution, and enhance customer focus. The one-to-one equivalence between PLC and NV shares should also improve financial[More...]

Anheuser-Busch Cos. (BUD) - InBev, ImClone Systems (IMCL) - Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY), $Longs Drug Stores (LDG) - CVS Caremark (CVS), Take-Two Interactive Software (TTWO) - Electronic Arts (ERTS)[More...]

This proposed merger is clearly a direct response to the recently completed LTXX-CMOS deal, which combined two direct competitors to both EGLT and TER in the "advanced testing equipment" (ATE) niche of the semiconductor industry.[More...]

We are keeping our Hold recommendation on Brazilian pulp-producer Votorantim Celulose e Papel S.A. (VCP). Demand for pulp and paper remains heated in Brazil and abroad, especially in Asia, which is keeping prices elevated. Guidance for the second quarter of 2008 was positive, and the short-term outlook for the pulp and paper market remains encouraging. However, sales have stagnated and the higher worldwide inflation and interest... [More...]