State Street CEO Joseph Hooley to Retire at End of Year 
 

State Street's Joseph L. Hooley will retire as chief executive officer on Dec. 31, with Ronald P. O'Hanley taking over on Jan. 1.

 
Merck to Buy Animal Health Tech Business for $2.37 Billion 
 

Merck & Co. has agreed to acquire the privately held animal health technology provider Antelliq Group from BC Partners for a deal valued at about EUR2.1 billion in cash.

 
GE to Explore Replacing KPMG as Auditor 
 

GE plans to solicit bids for an independent auditor after the conglomerate revealed accounting issues earlier this year. Although GE is keeping KPMG as its auditor for 2019, the process could mean KPMG could lose a relationship it has held for more than a century.

 
Louis Vuitton's Owner Takes the Grand Tour 
 

LVMH is betting on the luxury travel market with a $2.6 billion deal for hotel and cruise operator Belmond.

 
Maker of 'Pokémon Go' Refuels With $3.9 Billion Valuation 
 

Niantic, the publisher of the popular "Pokémon Go" mobile app, is in the process of raising a new round of capital that would value the company at $3.9 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

 
Apple's New Job Push Reflects Shifting Strategy, Changing Identity 
 

Apple's plan to add thousands of jobs in Austin, Texas, San Diego, Seattle and Culver City, Calif., sketches out a road map toward a future reliant on services and higher-priced devices.

 
Companies Ramp Up Stock Buybacks as Market Swoon Continues 
 

Shares in a handful of U.S. companies have rallied following recent announcements of increased share repurchases, a welcome development for investors bruised by market volatility.

 
Look to These Five Retailers to Bring Holiday Cheer 
 

It's a promising Christmas season for retail, with low unemployment and strong consumer confidence, and the vanishing of some famous brands has given relief to those still standing. Five of those retail chains may win big.

 
Lucy Peng to Step Down as CEO of Alibaba's Lazada 
 

Longtime Alibaba executive Lucy Peng is stepping down as chief executive of the e-commerce giant's Lazada Group after nine months on the job.

 
Tencent's Roster of IPOs Doesn't Live Up to the Hype 
 

Tencent Holdings, one of China's most influential companies, is also one of the most active technology investors, backing some of the world's biggest initial public offerings. But the technology giant's support doesn't make these deals a sure thing for investors.

 
 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 14, 2018 11:15 ET (16:15 GMT)

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