Business News

Hitachi to invest in ‘social innovation’

Hitachi Ltd. said Monday it will invest 1 trillion yen ($11 billion), or about 70% of its capital expenditure over the next three years, on its “social innovation” businesses, which include ... Read More

J&J unit acquires RespiVert

Johnson & Johnson’s Centocor Ortho Biotech unit said Tuesday it bought RespiVert Ltd., a company developing treatments for asthma and other lung diseases. Respivert is testing anti-inflammatory drugs that are intended ... Read More

National Semi develops chip for ‘smart solar panel’

National Semiconductor is diversifying into solar with the release a chipset that optimizes the power output of solar panels. The company said on Tuesday said that it is making its SolarMagic ... Read More

Caterpillar to buy Electro-Motive Diesel

Caterpillar Inc. agreed to buy a U.S. maker of railroad locomotives on Tuesday for $820 million in cash, expanding its rail business from service into new engine manufacturing. The world’s largest ... Read More

Savvis to acquire Fusepoint for $124.5 million

Savvis Inc. plans to buy Canadian IT company Fusepoint for $124.5 million. Toronto-based Fusepoint, a portfolio company of M/C Venture Partners, reported $41.7 million in revenue in 2009. The company, led ... Read More

Jack Henry strikes its largest deal

In June, the banking software supplier expects to close on a $300 million purchase of Elizabethtown, Ky.-based electronic bill provider iPay Technologies LLC. The acquisition should broaden Jack Henry’s customer base ... Read More

Northern Trust plans to expand, mulls acquisitions

Financial services company Northern Trust Corp. is actively planning to expand and is considering acquisitions, executives said on Wednesday. The executives, speaking at the company’s investor day in New York, said ... Read More

Magna plans electric-car battery plants in U.S., EU

Magna International Inc., Canada’s biggest auto-parts maker, plans to invest as much as $600 million (U.S.) on new plants for making lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. “We currently are scouting out ... Read More

Novus makes 2 acquisitions

Novus International Inc. said Tuesday it acquired several food and feed pigment and ingredient companies in Spain and Mexico for an undisclosed amount. The purchases increase the company’s size and reach ... Read More

Study: almost 5 million charging stations by 2015

Drivers who buy electric cars will need a quick, convenient place to recharge their batteries. And the industry is ramping up to fill that need, says a report released Tuesday by ... Read More