Benzinga's M&A Chatter for Thursday August 20, 2015

The following are the M&A deals, rumors and chatter circulating on Wall Street for Thursday August 20, 2015:

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Shares of Nortek Inc.

spiked higher Thursday following a

report that United Technologies Corporation

was in talks to acquire the Providence, RI-based manufacturer of products for remodeling and replacement and residential and commercial new construction. Spokespersons for the companies did not respond to requests for comment. Nortek closed at $86.78 on Thursday, up 17%.

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Shares of Anadarko Petroleum Corporation

rose Thursday, on unconfirmed market chatter that the company has been approached by Exxon Mobil Corporation

with an $86.00 per share offer. The Woodlands, TX-based oil & gas company is said to have hired Goldman Sachs as an advisor to assist in the sale process. In July, a similar rumor surfaced, with a potential offer of up to $90.00 per share. Anadarko closed at $71.05 Thursday, a loss of almost 2%.

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Oracle

announced Thursday, that it has signed an agreement to acquire the provider of cloud-based software that enables marketers to test, target and personalize what a customer sees on a Web page or mobile app, Maxymiser. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Oracle shares fell more than 2% Thursday, closing at $38.63.

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Solera Holdings, Inc.

announced Thursday, that it is exploring a variety of strategic alternatives, confirming a Wednesday

story. Solera's Board of Directors has formed a special committee, which has retained Centerview Partners LLC as its financial advisor and Sullivan & Cromwell as its legal advisor. Solera does not expect to make further public comment during the review process. Solera shares fell 3.72% Thursday, closing at $46.84.

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Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.

and Sprout Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced Thursday, that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which a wholly-owned subsidiary of Valeant will acquire Sprout, on a debt-free basis, for approximately $1 billion in cash, plus a share of future profits based upon the achievement of certain milestones. Valeant will pay approximately $500 million at the closing of the transaction, an additional payment in the amount of $500 million, payable in Q1 of 2016, plus a share of future profits based upon the achievement of certain milestones. The acquisition of Sprout comes a day after the company received approval from the FDA on its NDA for flibanserin, its treatement for female sexual desire disorder. Flibanserin will be marketed as Addyi in the U.S. Valeant shares fell 6.55% Thursday, closing at $229.06