mergers and acquisitions

• Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALXN) and Enobia Pharma Corp. today announced that the companies have signed a definitive agreement under which Alexion will acquire 100% of the capital stock of Enobia.
  
  Enobia is a private biopharmaceutical company based in Montreal, Canada and Cambridge, Massachusetts, which is focused on the development of therapies to treat patients with ultra-rare and life-threatening genetic metabolic disorders.

• MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET) announced today that GE Capital Financial Inc. will acquire most of the depository business of MetLife Bank, N.A.
  
  Financial terms of the transaction, which is expected to close in the second quarter of 2012, were not disclosed.
  
  Under the definitive agreement signed by GE Capital and MetLife Bank, GE Capital will acquire approximately $7.5 billion in MetLife Bank deposits, including certificates of deposit and money market accounts.

A survey of top executives of drugmakers indicates mergers and acquisitions should pick up in the next couple of years, as companies aim to offset rising generic competition.

• ANSYS, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANSS), to acquire Apache Design Solutions, Inc., for a purchase price of approximately $310 million in cash, which includes an estimated $29 million in cash on Apache's balance sheet.
  
  The agreement also includes retention provisions and incentives for key members of management and employees, earned over a three fiscal year period following closing, including an additional $13 million of performance equity awards.

Wall Street looked set to extend recent gains Wednesday amid optimism for an economic recovery and mergers and acquisitions activity.

• NCI, Inc. (Nasdaq: NCIT) announced that it has entered an agreement to acquire CSC (NYSE: CSC) affiliate, AdvanceMed Corp.
  
  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. AdvanceMed provides investigative services to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
• Kaydon Corporation (NYSE: KDN) has entered into an agreement to acquire HAHN-Gasfedern GmbH and related real estate and intangible property from Ulrich Hahn e.K.

• Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU) announced Tuesday that it has acquired AIG Star Life Insurance and AIG Edison Life Insurance from American International Group (NYSE: AIG) for a total transaction price of $4.8 billion.
  
  The terms of the deal will see Prudential pay $4.2 billion in cash and $600 million in third-party debt. "With the successful conclusion of this transaction, we look forward to maximizing synergies and realizing the benefits generated by our greater scale to further enhance our services and strengthen our competitive position in this market.

• Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced that it has agreed to sell its Consumer Product Group to Rank Group for approximately $950 million in cash.
  
  The transaction is baked into the company's FY11 EPS guidance.
• Sara Lee Corp. (NYSE: SLE) announced that its Board has agreed in principle to divide the company into two separate, publicly traded companies.
  
  The separation is expected to be completed in early calendar year 2012.

• RockTenn (NYSE: RKT) announced on Sunday that it has agreed to acquire Smurfit-Stone Container Corp.
  
  (NYSE: SSCC) for $3.5 billion in cash and stock. The packaging manufacturer will buy Smurfit-Stone for $35 per share, representing a 27 percent premium over the closing price of the stock on Friday of $27.52.
  
  According to the terms of the deal, the boards of both companies have agreed to the half-stock, half-cash deal.
  
  RockTenn will pay $17.50 in cash and Smurfit-Stone shareholders will receive 0.30605 shares of RockTenn for each share they own.

• NovaMed, Inc. (Nasdaq: NOVA) announced that they have entered into an agreement whereby they will be acquired by Surgery Center Holdings, Inc. for a consideration of $13.25 per share, or total outlay of $214 million, including the assumption or repayment of approximately $105 million of indebtedness.
  
  Surgery Partners is an affiliate of H.I.G. Capital, LLC. Closing is expected in Q211. Jefferies Finance LLC and THL Credit, Inc. have committed to provide debt financing for the transaction.