Benzinga's M&A Chatter for Thursday February 12, 2015

The following are the M&A deals, rumors and chatter circulating on Wall Street for Thursday February 12, 2015: Expedia to Acquire Orbitz Worldwide for $12/Share in Cash The Deal:
Expedia, Inc. EXPE announced Thursday, it has agreed to acquire Orbitz Worldwide, Inc. OWW for $12.00 per share in cash, for an enterprise value of approximately $1.6 billion. The Boards of Directors of both companies have approved the transaction, which must now be approved by the shareholders of Orbitz Worldwide and regulatory authorities. Orbitz Worldwide shares gained more than 21% Thursday, closing at $11.72, while Expedia shares rose 14.5% to close at $89.57. Valeant, Shire Considering Offers for Salix The CEO Comments:
Shares of Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd; SLXP spiked higher Thursday on a report from Bloomberg, that Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. VRX had arranged financing for a possible takeover of the Raleigh, NC drug company, according to sources. The offer would reportedly be more than $150 per share. Bloomberg first reported the rumor of a possible Valeant deal for Salix on February 3. Spokespersons for the companies declined comment. Late Thursday, Reuters reported that Shire plc SHPG was working with advisers on a potential bid for Salix, according to their sources. Salix shares rose 4%, to close at $149.18, while Valeant shares gained almost 2%, closing at $167.50. ExxonMobil May be Seeking Acquisitions; BP, Chevron Potential Targets The Deal:
Shares of BP plc BP spiked higher Thursday, on a report from the Wall Street Journal that ExxonMobil Corporation XOM may be considering taking advantage of low oil prices and preparing to bid for companies struggling with the downturn. In addition to BP, Chevron Corporation CVX was mentioned as a possible target. There was unusual call activity in both BP and Chevron shares Thursday, following the report. BP shares closed Thursday at $47.50, a gain of 2.5%. Chevron gained 1.5% to close at $110.86.