ITASCA, Ill., July 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG - News) today announced the acquisition of S. P. Tarantino Insurance Brokerage, Inc. of San Francisco, California. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1979, S. ... [full story]

WASHINGTON -- Securities regulators are warning people to be wary of a new investment scam that uses phony government agency Web sites. The National Association of Securities Dealers, the brokerage industry's self-policing organization, issued an investor alert Tuesday regarding Web sites ... [full story]

Acquisition will create one of the largest reconstruction-restoration companies in the world ATLANTA, July 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Charys Holding Company, Inc. ("Charys") (OTC Bulletin Board: CHYS) today announced that it has signed a Letter of Intent to acquire the business and ... [full story]

The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals involving European and U.S. companies were reported by 0730 GMT on Thursday. ** Peabody Energy Corp. (BTU.N: Quote, Profile, Research) has agreed to acquire Australian coal producer Excel Coal Ltd for about $1.34 billion. ... [full story]

NORWALK, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 5, 2006--GE Commercial Finance today announced new leadership at the Northeast Region Manager level of its North American Corporate Lending business as part of its continuing expansion to help provide customers a smarter suite of financial solutions, ... [full story]

Move Consolidates RBC's U.S. Life Insurance Operations GREENVILLE, S.C., July 3 /PRNewswire/ -- RBC Insurance has merged Liberty Life Insurance Company and Business Men's Assurance Company of America (BMA), its core U.S. insurance businesses, and consolidated its marketing brands. The move ... [full story]

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 30, 2006--The mergers and acquisitions market has put on a real fireworks show in the first half of 2006. According to global M&A tracker FactSet Mergerstat, M&A spending worldwide reached over US$1.3 trillion through June 28 as ... [full story]

HOUSTON — HCC Insurance Holdings Inc., which sells specialized property and casualty insurance, on Friday said it agreed to acquire Novia Underwriters Inc., an Indianapolis insurance provider. Financial terms were undisclosed. The deal is expected to close shortly. Novia specializes in medical ... [full story]

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Holding company Genworth Financial Inc. said Thursday it will acquire AssetMark Investment Services, a provider of outsourced managed account services to independent financial advisors, for $230 million in cash plus additional performance-based payments of up to ... [full story]

NEW YORK (AP) - Latin American mergers and acquisitions have leapt in 2006, as investors take stock after a decade of privatizations and market liberalization and opt to buy, sell or reorganize their local assets. Latin American acquisitions have totaled $68.6 ... [full story]