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Figuring out who owns or can work with the “information exhaust” of an individual consumer’s online activity has always been something of a challenge. On the one hand, there are many opportunities to look for patterns in this data and make helpful suggestions or predict future actions and position to create a commercial advantage. On the other hand, it’s easy to deliberately or inadvertently go beyond what’s generally considered to be acceptable (if that’s even defined in any useful way) behavior and trespass on an individual’s personal and economic footprint — in other words, to invade their privacy.
Read: “The Cost of Privacy”
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There’s no doubt that 2015 was a banner year for mergers and acquisitions, as deal volumes hit record highs globally and nationally. For the first time, global M&A volume surpassed $5 trillion, up 37% from 2014, based on late-December figures from Dealogic. It was a particularly frenzied year for mega-deals, with 69 of them valued at more than $10 billion, accounting for 38% of global M&A volume.
Read: “Is It Time to Pull the M&A Trigger?”
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Barclay’s, Credit Suisse Fined $154M Over Dark Pools
The SEC and New York State allege the banks misrepresented that they would keep high-frequency traders out of their alternative trading systems.
The Cost of Privacy
The EU’s new General Data Protection Regulation will force companies to change how they handle consumers’ online data.
Mobile’s Search, Youtube, Ads Propel Alphabet’s Solid Q4
The Google business unit of Alphabet generated $21.2 billion in revenue, an 18% increase from a year earlier.
Is It Time to Pull the M&A Trigger?
Enthusiasm for deals is waning, suggesting that if you want to do one, it may be best to do it soon.
Zinc Producer Files Chapter 11
Long-falling zinc prices cause a Pittsburgh metals producer to declare bankruptcy.
Aetna Suffers Loses On Affordable Care Act Business
Aetna’s CEO has “serious concerns about the sustainability of the public exchanges.”
Study Downplays Security Threat of Encryption
Will end-to-end encryption become ubiquitous across applications and services and allow criminals to hide from law enforcement? Not likely, says Harvard.
Banks Easing Standards for Household Loans
Banks moderately eased underwriting standards for some mortgages and auto loans in the fourth quarter of 2015 but tightened on C&I loans.
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