Benzinga's M&A Chatter for Monday December 8, 2014

The following are the M&A deals, rumors and chatter circulating on Wall Street for Monday Decmeber 5 throught Sunday December 7, 2014:

Merck to Acquire Cubist for $102/Share in CashThe Deal

Merck

MRK

and Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

CBST

confirmed Monday that Merck will acquire Cubist for $102 per share in cash, in a transaction valued $8.4 billion, plus $1.1 billion in net debt. Merck, through a subsidiary, will initiate a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Cubist. The deal is expected to close in Q1 of 2015. Cubist shares closed Monday at $100.60, a gain of 35%.

JCDecaux Explores Offer for European Assets of Clear Channel Outdoor According to SourcesThe Rumor

Shares of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc. (NYSE CCO) spiked higher Monday, on a report from

Reuters</>, that JCDecaux SA JCDCXY is considering bid for the European assets of it U.S. outdoor advertising rival. JCDecaux is the world's largest outdoor ad group. Clear Channel Outdoor's European assets could be valued at $2.5 billion, according to sources. A Clear Channel spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Clear Channel Outdoor shares closed Monday at $8.26, a gain of $0.14. Repsol Has Revived Talks with Talisman The Rumor:
Shares of Talisman Energy Inc. TLM spiked higher Monday, on a report from Bloomberg, that talks with Spain's Repsol, SA REPYY have been resumed, according to sources. The talks may involve a sale of assets or the entire company. Bloomberg reported back in July that Talisman was one of several companies being considered as an acquisition target by Repsol. A spokesperson for Talisman Energy was not immediately available for comment. Talisman Energy closed Monday at $3.74, a loss of 5% on twice average volume. Apple Rumored to be Considering Stake in Twitter The Rumor:
Shares of Twitter, Inc. TWTR rose Monday, on unconfirmed market chatter that Apple Inc. AAPL might take a 25% stake in the social media platform. The stake could be valued at $47.00 per share. This is not the first time Apple has reportedly considered a stake in Twitter. In 2012, a report mentioned a possible stake in Twitter by Apple at less than half the current $22 billion market cap. Twitter declined comment on the rumor. An Apple spokesperson was not available for comment. Twitter closed Monday at $36.29, a loss of more than 5.5%.

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Benzinga's M&A Chatter for Monday December 8, 2014