Actelion, J&J in Merger Talk Again, Nokia Files Patent Suits Against Apple

Sarla Buch
22 Dec, 2016
New York City

Actelion re-entered in merger talks with Johnson & Johnson. Altice agreed to sell its Belgium and German businesses to Telenet for

[R]4:00 PM Frankfurt – Actelion re-entered in merger talks with Johnson & Johnson. Altice agreed to sell its Belgium and German businesses to Telenet for €400 million. Nokia filed a number of patents lawsuits against Apple. Ontex is in acquisition talk with Brazil-based Hypermarcas.[/R]

In London trading, FTSE 100 index edged down 2.08 to 7,039.34 and in Frankfurt the DAX index decreased 7.49 to 11,461.40.

In Paris, CAC 40 index slid 3.36 to 4,830.46.

Actelion Ltd jumped 4.4% to 224.50 Swiss francs after Switzerland-based biopharmaceutical group re-entered in “strategic” talks with Johnson & Johnson only a week after ending earlier merger talks.

Last week, Actelion said that it “engaged in discussions with another party” without furnishing more detail while J&J said it had exited from the bidding but the pharmaceutical company now said it had entered in “exclusive negotiations.”

The deal now may value Actelion for as much as $30 billion.

Altice NV edged up 0.05% to €18.83 after the Netherlands-based media and communication services provider signed an agreement to sell its Belgium and Germany-based businesses Coditel Brabant Sprl to Telenet Group BVBA for about €400 million or $418 million.

Nokia Corp declined 4.2% to €4.53 after Finland-based communication systems maker said today that it had filed a number of lawsuits against Apple Inc for violating 32 technology patents in three courts in Germany and in the U.S. District Court of Texas.

The patent lawsuits mainly covers main features of displays, user interfaces, software, antennas, chipsets and video coding.

""Since agreeing license covering some patents from Nokia Technologies portfolio in 2011, Apple decline on subsequent offers made by Nokia to license its patented inventions which are used by many of Apple''s products,"" Nokia said in a statement.

""Unfortunately, Nokia refused to license their patents on fair basis and now using the tactics of patent troll to attempt to extort money from Apple by applying royalty rate,” spokesman Josh Rosenstock Apple said.

Ontex Group NV advanced 3.8% to €27.11 after Belgium-based company said today confirmed that it is in acquisition talk with Brazil-based pharmaceutical group Hypermarcas SA for its personal hygiene business for about R$1 billion or $300 million in cash.

Vonovia SE, formerly Deutsche Annington Immobilien SE fell 0.3% to €30.22 after Germany-based real estate developer said that the acquisition offer of 71.54% in Conwert Immobilien Invest SE is accepted by its shareholders.

Vonovia said the offer date is extended to March 23, 2017 for the remaining shareholders.