Archive for December 2012
U.S. deals salvage a weak year for mergers and acquisitions
Global mergers and acquisitions rose to the highest level in four years this quarter, as a surge in U.S. deals provided ground for optimism and salvaged what had been the worst year for takeovers since …
Read MoreHow far will your family fall off the fiscal cliff?
The Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax research group based in Washington D.C., has put together a study of which states and metropolitan areas across the country will be hardest hit under the so-called “fiscal cliff.”…
Read MoreD.M. insurance brokerage purchased
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired retail insurance broker Ahrold Fay Rosenberg in Des Moines.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. John Ahrold, John Fay, Brook Rosenberg and their team will continue to …
Read MoreIowa business leaders to tackle education
Four large Iowa business groups are sponsoring a Jan. 7 conference designed to mobilize company leaders around education reform. About 150 business leaders are expected to attend the summit at the Community Choice Credit Union …
Read MoreMortgage bond sales spike in wake of refinancings
Sales of U.S.-backed mortgage bonds have soared to a three-year high as steps by the Federal Reserve Board and Obama administration to make home ownership more affordable propelled a 34 percent jump in refinancing, Bloomberg reported.
Issuance …
Read MoreApplications for unemployment benefits dip slightly
Applications for jobless benefits decreased 12,000 to 350,000 in the week ended Dec. 22, according to U.S. Labor Department figures released today, Bloomberg reported.
Economists forecast 360,000, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg …
Read MoreSpecial court will hear commercial lawsuits
The Iowa Supreme Court plans a three-year experiment in which commercial lawsuits involving $200,000 or more will be argued before a business court.
“This pilot project results from the extensive work of the Iowa Civil …
Read MoreUtilities Board building goes Platinum
The headquarters building for the Iowa Utilities Board and the Office of Consumer Advocate has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification, making it the first state office building to achieve …
Read MorePetrowsky to retire from LeadingAge Iowa
Dana Petrowsky, president and CEO of LeadingAge Iowa, formerly the Iowa Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, will retire from the association, effective Dec. 31. Petrowsky has led the association since 1998. LeadingAge …
Read MoreMeta Financial Group reports earnings
Meta Financial Group Inc. reported net income for its fiscal fourth quarter of $1.7 million, or 28 cents per share, compared with $2.2 million, or 70 cents per share, for the prior-year period. Annual net …
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