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Insurance

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Dice Holdings to use stock offering to buy back shares

Dice Holdings Inc. this morning announced a public offering of 10 million shares of common stock. The New York City-based provider of career websites, which has its primary operations in Urbandale, said it will use the …

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Principal announces outlook for 2011

Principal Financial Group Inc. announced that the company expects 2011 operating earnings per share to range from $2.80 to $3 in its 2011 outlook released Wednesday.

The company said it expects an average Standard and …

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Jobless insurance claims drop to lowest levels since 2008

The number of applications for jobless benefits averaged 431,000 a week over the month ended Nov. 27, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

That was the lowest level since August 2008.

“Lower lows and lower …

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United Fire, Mercer Insurance to merge

Cedar Rapids-based United Fire & Casualty Co. will acquire Mercer Insurance Group Inc., a New Jersey-based company, in a deal valued at about $191 million, the companies announced on Tuesday. 

Under the terms of the …

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JPMorgan Chase launches HSA broker program

J.P. Morgan Treasury Services, a division of JPMorgan Chase & Co., announced it will try to expand its nationwide sales of health savings accounts (HSA) by launching an HSA broker program.  In response to market …

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Principal to release earnings guidance

Principal Financial Group Inc. will release its 2011 earnings guidance after the market close today. Larry Zimpleman, chairman, president and CEO, and Terry Lillis, senior vice president and chief financial officer, will host a conference …

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Iowa banks increased earnings, beat national performance ratios

Iowa banks increased earnings, beat national performance ratios
Iowa banks beat national performance ratios in nearly every category, the head of an industry trade group said following the release of third-quarter data by the Federal …

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Mercer acquires investment consulting firm

Mercer has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Hammond Associates, the third-largest investment consulting firm serving endowments and foundations in the United States. Mercer said the acquisition further enhances its alternative research and investment capabilities …

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Greater Des Moines firms to present at investors’ conference

FBL Financial Group Inc. announced that CEO James Hohmann and Chief Financial Officer James Brannen will present at the FBR Capital Markets Fall Investor Conference at 9:30 a.m. Iowa time Tuesday in New York. Investors …

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M & A activity a sign of strengthening economy


In 2009, investment banker Steve Jacobs was trying to find a buyer for a Greater Des Moines professional services firm whose owner was ready to retire. He’s still looking, but the prospects have improved this …