Keeping up on business merger announcements is more important than ever as business deals go through quickly. The Internet places a wealth of business news at your fingertips, which is both good and bad news. Finding the specific type of information you're looking for requires a deft hand at sorting through the chaff without wasting a lot of time.

The good news is that you can meet and beat this time management challenge by knowing which websites to use. The best ways of finding merger and acquisition announcements news and trends include:

1. Turn to major, established news outlets for reliable information about the latest business merger announcements.
2. Read M&A announcements from the heavy-hitters of online media.
3. Get a well-rounded take on business announcements from online news aggregation sites.
   

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Find merger and acquisition announcements through major news wire services

News wire services are the funnels through which many print and online publications receive their best leads and, sometimes, entire articles. You can eliminate the middleman and tap into the latest merger and acquisition news directly by accessing these wire services yourself.

I recommend: The Associated Press business section regularly provides current news on merger and acquisition news to print publications. Reuters offers breaking mergers and acquisitions news for domestic and international markets.

Get your business merger announcements from the online news heavyweights

Major news networks and long-lived print publications like CBS and the New York Times have staff dedicated solely to researching and writing about the latest business trends. Tune in to the business section of these websites and you'll get caught up on the latest mergers and acquisitions announcements as they happen, along with other related business news.

I recommend: MSN Money is a major online news network that reports heavily on business dealings. Get merger and acquisition news at Business Exchange, published by Business Week.

Access mergers and acquisitions announcements and commentaries through online business blogs

Blogs focused on mergers and acquisitions not only provide current news, but also offer commentaries and editorials about the business deals. For a fresh perspective on business mergers and acquisitions, check out a variety of business oriented blogs.

I recommend: DealBook, a New York Times blog edited by Andrew Ross Sorkin, reports on the latest financial news five days a week. This includes updates on mergers and acquisitions. Mergers Unleashed provides blog commentaries focused on merger and acquisition news sorted by blogger.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Access your favorite websites or news services for M&A announcements through an RSS or 'feed' reader. Check your preferred mail client to find RSS or feed reading software as many mail programs offer RSS capabilities, as do some of the major webmail providers like Yahoo!

One way to track aggregate changes in your industry is through merger and acquisition announcements. M&A announcements inform of market shifts, changes in stock values and accretion or dilutions of certain economic sectors. They can also alert you to how the market will eventually affect the valuation of your own company's stock.

If you are considering engineering your own merger or acquisition, announcements of mergers and acquisitions provide good schematics of the various forms of financing, tax accounting, and changes in governance that may benefit (or hurt) you. Also consult M&A league tables to analyze industry merger and acquisition rankings by deal values and transaction volume. Here are a few points to consider:

1. Find reliable sources with timely updates on the latest merger and acquisitions.

2. If you are considering an M&A transaction, consult with advisers to find out what precedes and follows business merger announcements.

3. Consider taking advantage of services and desktop solutions that provide comprehensive M&A data and business acquisition announcements.

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Get business acquisition announcements and other M&A news through reliable resources

Find premier resources that provide you with comprehensive information and analysis on the latest mergers and acquisitions news. You have the option to subscribe to reliable financial periodicals or join financial information sites. Either way, you will be informed on the latest merger and acquisition announcements.

I recommend: Of course, the most reliable resource of up-to-the-minute financial news, including mergers and acquisitions announcements, is The Wall Street Journal. The online version provides many premiums, including MarketWatch, which tracks mergers and acquisitions as well as other market news on many major industries. The New York Times DealBook is a respected chronicler of the latest merger and acquisitions news. Another source is the monthly periodical, Mergers and Acquisitions: The Dealmaker's Journal, which provides comprehensive information on M&As that includes pricing and valuation; accounting and taxes; deal structuring and acquisition strategies; post-merger integration; and risk management. Its M&A Roundup provides in-depth analysis on the latest deals and developments as well. Purchase an annual subscription. Acquisitions Monthly offers another M&A Roundup that provides monthly reviews on leading market transactions.

Consult with experts to help you understand the ramifications of business merger announcements

Announcing a merger or acquisition is a strategic move that may help or harm your business. Stocks often flounder if an announcement is met with a lukewarm reception by the market. A consultant can tell you what to anticipate pre- and post-announcement, and especially whether your company is ready to make that move.

I recommend: Conversion Services International, Inc., assists you in all aspects of mergers and acquisitions, including readiness assessment as well as post-integration optimization. Empire State Consultants provide strategic guidance and assessment for companies considering mergers or acquisitions. They take you through the first-year integration as well.

Find desktop solutions and databases that provide M&A data, including M&A announcements

Check out desktop solutions that provide you with detailed M&A information, including the latest deals as well as rumors of possible announcements. They provide email alerts that track progress of specific deals and rumors. Also, you can find online databases that analyze M&A transactions in various industries.

I recommend: Zephyr provides more than 450,000 business transaction deals and rumors, including M&As. The desktop solution also helps valuate more than 33 million public and hard-to-find companies worldwide. Its email alert system tracks daily progress on deals and rumors. M&A Insight offers subscriptions to several databases on mergers and acquisitions that track Mid-Cap and Large-Cap transaction details. Transactions are updated weekly.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Merger and acquisitions announcements should always follow extensive due diligence to valuate the obvious and hidden risks of the transactions. Online virtual rooms help you reduce the time and expense of conducting due diligence.

Companies must file merger and acquisition announcements as a legal way to disclose changes to investors. There are many sources from which you can receive announcements, and the source you use will depend on how frequently you want to receive announcements. When you work with merger and acquisition announcements, key terms like aggregate changes or M&A data can help you understand the purpose and the information contained in the announcements, among other aspects.

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Aggregate changes

Aggregate changes are the fluctuations in stock price. Most merger and acquisition announcements will include information on aggregate changes by indicating a percentage of increase or decrease in the stock's value.

I recommend: CNNMoney announces stock changes and uses percentages to show the increase or decrease.

M&A data

Merger and acquisition data (M&A data) provides information on stocks and markets. The data is what most companies include in merger and acquisitions announcements.

I recommend: To get an overview of M&A data, you can visit Valuation Resources. The website covers the use of this data in merger and acquisition announcements.

Merger tracker

A merger tracker is an announcement that will notify you of mergers. It can be a daily, monthly or quarterly newspaper or some other medium.

I recommend: Visit William Blair and Company to see an example of company that offers a monthly merger tracker.

Email alert system

An email alert system allows you to receive announcements via email. Often this is the quickest way to get up-to-date information.

I recommend: You can sign up for email alerts at StreetInsider.com, which offers an email alert system to notify you of merger and acquisition announcements.

Disclosure

Disclosure is the legal process of revealing to investors the status of a company that mergers or acquires additional stock. The timing of disclosure is an important element for companies to consider prior to issuing a merger or acquisition announcement.

I recommend: You can find more information on disclosure by visiting the website for Blake, Cassels & Graydon. It covers the role of disclosure in mergers and acquisitions, as well as the timeline for disclosure.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) oversees the compliance of merger and acquisition announcements.

I recommend: You can learn about the role of the SEC by visiting its website, which also provides information on laws and regulations specific to mergers and acquisitions.