Last Call for M&A

 Ahold (AHO) buys 51% stake of Peapod
(PPOD)

  
* 
Amount:         $73
million

  
* 
Terms:           
Purchased convertible preferred PPOD stock @ $3.75

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:        Internet
grocery

  
* 
Scorecard:      C

AMSTERDAM, April 14–Dutch-based grocery retailer Royal Ahold
(AHO)
said on Friday it agreed to purchase 51 percent of U.S. electronic grocery
retailer Peapod (PPOD)
for $73 million. In addition to the $73 million investment, Ahold has
committed to a $20 million revolving credit line. Under the agreement,
Peapod will continue to operate independently and Ahold will supply Peapod
with goods, services and fast pick fulfilment centres.




 

 TD Waterhouse (TWE

) acquires CT
Securities

  
* 
Amount:         $96.8
million

  
* 
Terms:           
n/a

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:        Online
brokerage

  
* 
Scorecard:      B

NEW YORK, April 14–TD Waterhouse Group (TWE),
a leading online financial services firm and the world’s second-largest
discount broker, announced that its subsidiary, TD Waterhouse Investor
Services (Canada), has completed the formal acquisition of the discount
brokerage business of CT Securities from CT Financial
Services. CT Financial Services was acquired by The Toronto-Dominion
Bank in February, 2000. The purchase price was $96.8 million.




 

 IBM (IBM) acquires Sequent Financial leasing
portfolio

  
* 
Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
* 
Terms:           
n/a

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:        PC
manufacturer

  
* 
Scorecard:      B+

ARMONK, N.Y., April 14–IBM (IBM)
announced that it has acquired the Sequent Financial Services
leasing portfolio, which primarily covers NUMA-Q 2000 processors, formerly
named Sequent Computer Systems. IBM Global Financing’s purchase of the
portfolio, consisting of U.S.-based customer lease contracts, extends IBM’s
support for its acquisition of Sequent Computer Systems last year.



The portfolio acquisition will directly benefit customers since IBM will be
able to easily arrange their lease upgrades and extensions for installed
NUMA-Q processors.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.




 

 LSI Logic (LSI) acquires NeoMagic (NMGC)
unit

  
* 
Amount:         $14.5
million

  
* 
Terms:           
n/a

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:        Semiconductor
equipment

  
* 
Scorecard:      C+

MILPITAS, April 14–LSI Logic (LSI)
and NeoMagic (NMGC)
today announced an agreement in which LSI Logic will acquire NeoMagic’s
optical read-channel mixed-signal design team and RF intellectual property
for use in high-volume communications solutions. The purchase agreement is
valued at approximately $14.5 million. The companies anticipate closing the
transaction by the end of April within NeoMagic’s current fiscal
quarter.




 

 GlobalNetFinancial.com (GLBN) acquires
Cyberwolf

  
* 
Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
* 
Terms:           
n/a

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:        Internet financial
services

  
* 
Scorecard:      C

SANTA MONICA and LONDON, April 14–GlobalNetFinancial.com (GLBN)
, a rapidly expanding international financial portal providing online
financial news, content and transaction execution services announced today
it has acquired Cyberwolf, one of Europe’s leading WAP (Wireless
Application Protocol) and e-Solutions consulting firms. The acquisition of
Cyberwolf will help drive GlobalNetFinancial.com’s business model to become
the dominant investment Internet portal in Europe by providing a
state-of-the-art interface to both wired and wireless users of the
Internet.




 

 E.piphany (EPNY) acquires eClass
Direct

  
* 
Amount:         $35 to $60
million

  
* 
Terms:           
750,000 shares of EPNY

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:        Corporate
software

  
* 
Scorecard:      C

SAN MATEO and HALF MOON BAY, April 14–E.piphany (EPNY)
, a leading provider of customer-focused analytic, campaign management and
real-time personalization applications, announced that it has signed a
definitive agreement to acquire privately-held eClass Direct, an
application service provider of permission-based e-mail marketing services.
eClass Direct will complement E.piphany’s e-mail marketing product,
Emailer, with a scaleable hosted e-mail service offering. Under the terms
of the definitive agreement, E.piphany will issue approximately 750,000
shares of its common stock to the holders of securities of eClass Direct.
The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of this year.



Upon closing the transaction, eClass Direct employees will plan to relocate
to E.piphany’s headquarters in San Mateo and integrate their services as
part of a comprehensive E.piphany hosted offering.




 

 eUniverse (EUNI) acquires
Dustcloud.com

  
* 
Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
* 
Terms:           
n/a

  
* 
Premium:        n/a

  
* 
Industry:        Internet content
provider

  
* 
Scorecard:      C+

LOS ANGELES, April 14–eUniverse (OTCBB: EUNI),
the Internet’s leading interactive entertainment network, announced today
it has acquired Dustcloud.com, one of the top entertainment search
destinations. Dustcloud.com offers
users a searchable Image and Movie Database while providing a compelling
community filled with current movie reviews, trailers, and other forms of
entertainment focused content.