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Capitalizing on its strong cash position, German open-ended property fund Deka Immobilien has been very active buying and selling properties in Europe, the US, and Asia. Article discusses Deka's recent acquisitions and growth prospects.

Dutch real estate company Corio N.V. swung to a first-quarter net profit of 43.2 million euro, compared with a loss of 105.1 million euro a year ago. The value of Corio's portfolio rose to 6.5 billion euro at the end of March from 5.9 million euro at the end of December. Corio plans to spend to spend 4 billion euro on acquisitions over the next few years.

To receive a 3-billion-euro bailout from the German government, state-owned WestLB has agreed to sell its real estate bank Westdeutsche Immobilienbank AG (WestImmo). WestLB will also take over WestImmo's retail-banking unit to reduce WestImmo's portfolio of bad loans by 1.1 billion euro.

German real estate company GSW Immobilien will raise as much as 800 million euro in an initial public offering. Other real estate IPOs are expected to follow as the industry stabilizes. In 2008, GSW had rent revenue of 190 million euro, net income of 107.7 million euro, debt-to-equity ratio of 40.3%, and a property portfolio value of 2.5 billion euro.

To restructure its debt, Spanish real estate giant Inmobiliaria Colonial issued new shares, which were swapped for convertible bonds held by the company's creditors. Pending shareholder approval, Colonial will issue more shares to creditors in exchange for retiring about 1.9 billion euro of Colonial's debt. Article discusses how companies are swapping equity for debt to avoid defaulting on loans.

Cosmo Hotel, a new lifestyle hotel affiliated with Design Hotels AG, opened in the trendy Berlin Mitte on January 2. Article discusses how Design Hotels' management and marketing creates value for hotels under its franchise, even in a depressed economy.

Mall operator Unibail-Rodamco SE reports a net loss of 1.5 billion euro in 2009, but, excluding asset write-downs, full-year profit rose 7.1% to 9.20 euro a share. Rental income rose 3.9% to 942 million euro. Unibail expects profit to be flat or grow 2% at best in 2010.

Investment firm KiFin Ltd. launched an 84.5 million pounds sterling hostile takeover bid for U.K. property developer Minerva PLC. The offer was rejected by Minerva's management, which believes the London property sector is recovering, as exemplified by two major deals in less than a week.

Ron Sommer, the chief executive of Deutsche Telekom AG, is being pressured to increase the company's share price. The company's planned acquisition of VoiceStream Wireless Corp. could be endangered by Sommer's decision.

Siemens AG will spend up to 1 billion euros over the next 18-month period in order to electronically link all of its businesses. The company is attempting to reduce costs by using the Internet.

Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux SA has terminated its partnership discussions with Germany's E.On AG. The two firms were discussing forming a huge diversified utility in Europe.

T-Online International AG is close to reaching an agreement to acquire Ya.com, the web portal unit of Jazztel PLC. The negotiations resumed after the resignation of T-Online's CEO, Wolfgang Keuntje, in August 2000.

Wolfgang Keuntje, the chief executive officer of T-Online, unexpectedly resigned from his post. Keuntje resigned due to differences with Deutsche Telekom AG's CEO Ron Sommer. Deutsche Telekom is the parent firm of T-Online.

VoiceStream Wireless Corp. is close to acquiring Powertel Inc. for $5.8 billion (6.43 billion euros). The deal would help VoiceStream become a nationwide wireless in the US.

In what is expected to be the first of several acquisitions in the United States, Deutsche Telekom has agreed to to buy VoiceStream Wireless for stock and cash. The wireless company is values at $50.5 billion (54.3 billion euros).

This article discusses the acquisition efforts of Deutsche Telekom in the United States and the opposition in the U.S. Senate. Deutsche Telekom's is negotiations for the takeover of Voicestream Wireless Communications has raised concerns in the Senate and the Federal Trade Commission because it is 58% owned by the German government.

Deutsche Telekom AG proposed acquisition of VoiceStream Wireless Corp. could extend European digital telephone technology into the US. The deal is valued at more than $40 billion (41.9 billion euros).

This article describes the acquisition by Deutsche Telekom of the Slovak telecommunications company, Slovenske Telekomunikacie, for 1 billion euros. The acquisition moves Deutsche Telekom closer to its goal of establishing a regional telecommunication network.

World Access Inc. will acquire a majority share of Teldafax AG in an all-share deal. World Access will exchange 1.025 of its own shares for every Teldafax share that is owned by Apax Partners, a joint venture partner.

Deutsche Telekom AG is planning a worldwide bond offering, one of the largest ever. The company is planning to raise $8 billion to $15 billion from the offering.

T-Online is in the lead to acquire a controlling share or the entirety of Freeserve PLC. T-Online is considered to be the most interested party in Freeserve.

T-Online, the Internet unit of Deutsche Telekom AG, is studying the possibility of making an offer to acquire Freeserve PLC. Freeserve is the largest provider of Internet services in the UK.

Bertelsmann AG's chairman, Mark Woessner, has resigned from the company after 32 years. Mr. Woessner is resigning as the result of a dispute with founder Reinhard Mohn over the amassing of management control.

Freenet.de saw its share value rise by almost 23% as a result of reports that France Telecom SA would acquire a share of the firm. However, France Telecom denied the reports.

Deutsche Telekom AG will acquire Debis Systemhaus GmbH from DaimlerChrysler. The deal will make Deutsche the second-ranking European systems group.

Bertelsmann AG announced that it would provide funding for victims and survivors of the Nazi period. The company has been implicated in the publication of anti-Semitic essays during the Nazi period.

Bertelsmann AG is expected to sell its 50% share of its European venture with America Online Inc. (AOL) to AOL itself. The share will be sold for $7.5 billion (7.75 billion euros).

This article discusses the plans of Deutsche Telekom's chief executive, Ron Sommer, for the company to become a contender in the global telecommunications market. His task is to make a company still 65% owned by the German government into a competitive enterprise. Thus he is seeking acquisitions, especially in the U.S.

Deutsche Telekom AG will sell off its majority share in its North Rhine-Westpahalia cable television system to Callahan Associates. Deutsche is selling the system for approximately $3 billion (3.04 billion euros).

Ciao.com and Amiro.de are planning to merge their operations. Both German startups rejected an offer to merge with a larger rival in the US.

Mannesmann AG's management approved Vodafone AirTouch PLC's takeover offer. Vodafone made a bid of 181.4 billion euros to acquire Mannesmann.

Bertelsmann AG is considering a music partnership with Sony Corp. However, the company stated that no deal was at hand and that it might launch partnerships in the Internet music distribution sector.

Thomas Middelhoff, the chief executive officer of Bertelsmann AG, acknowledged that his company was seeking to acquire a major music firm. The move would help increase the presence of Bertelsmann's BMG Entertainment group.

The merger of America Online and Time Warner has created questions as to whether Bertelsmann AG can compete as media companies expand into cyberspace. The alliance between AOL and Bertelsmann is unraveling and Bertelsmann cannot supply needed equity because it is not listed on the stock market.

Lehman Brothers is calling on Vodafone AirTouch PLC to merge with Mannesmann AG. In a 30-page report, Lehman said that Mannesmann will expand more quickly by itself. However, a merger with Vodafone will make more opportunities available to Mannesman.

This article discusses the defense to be mounted by Mannesmann against the 137 billion euro hostile takeover bid of Vodafone Airtouch after receiving a seven-day extension from the German government.

Efforts by Mannesmann AG's executive board to prevent Vodafone AirTouch PLC's hostile offer for the company is being opposed by independent stockholders. The shareholders have filed a suit to stop Mannesmann's executive board.

As Vodafone sweetens its offer, Mannesmann gets more accepting. While Mannesmann is trying to acquire Orange PLC, a Vodafone-Mannesmann merger would probably require divesting Orange. This merger of England's and Germany's largest cellular company's would present hurdles and also make history. Vodafone's second offer was 18% higher than its first offer.

Deutsche Telekom AG has won the bidding to acquire a minority share of Hrvatske Telekomunikacje DD (HT), a telecommunications firm based in Croatia. Deutsche Telekom will acquire 35% of HT for $850 million (791.6 million euros). The deal is the largest privatization in Croatia's history. Deutsche outbid Telia AB and Telenor AS's joint offer of $641 million.

France Telecom SA is acquiring a minority share in E-Plus for 1.7 billion euros. E-Plus is the third-ranked mobile telephone group in Germany. The acquisition represents France Telecom's first move in competing with Deutsche Telekom in its home market of Germany. France Telecom will buy Vodafone AirTouch PLC's 17.24% share in E-Plus Mobilfunk GmbH.

The German state of Bavaria has given its approval to the planned merger of Viag AG and Veba AG. Bavaria is Viag's largest shareholder.

Deutsche Telekom AG saw its share value increase by 6.5% as the company plans to list its mobile communications and Internet operations. Deutsche Telekom's plan is part of its global expansion strategy. Ron Sommer, the chief executive officer of Deutsche Telekom, stated that he is committed to intensifying the expansion worldwide of the company.

Pro Sieben Media AG's chief executive officer Georg Kofler has announced his intention to resign. The 42-year old Mr. Kofler is resigning in order to pursue other business interests. He is considered to be responsible for the development of Pro Sieben. The German-based firm became the first television firm in Germany to list its stock on the stock exchange. Mr. Kofler did not extend his present contract.

Veba AG posted improved earnings for the first-half of 1999. The German-based group's earnings more than tripled during the period. Veba reported 2.12 billion euros in net profits for the first six months of the year. During the same period in 1998, the group posted 660 million euros. Sales rose by almost 24% to 25.32 billion euros.

Reinhard Mohn has surrendered the voting rights to his stock in Bertelsmann AG. Mr. Mohn consequently becomes the last in a lengthy family line of patriarchs to hold control over the German publishing group. The 78-year old Mr. Mohn had controlled as much as 90% of the voting rights to Bertelsmann's stock. However, he gave the rights to a six-member administrative board in order to guarantee the ownership succession.

Global One SA's president and chief executive Gary Forsee will resign from his posts. The resignation complicated the global telecommunications alliance's future. Deutsche Telekom AG, France Telecom SA, and Sprint Corp. are Global One's three stockholders. However, they have not reached an agreement on a serious strategy that would help the alliance become profitable. The vacancy caused by Mr. Forsee's resignation will be difficult to replace while the shareholders cannot come to terms on a strategy.

Telecom Italia SpA and Deutsche Telekom AG announced that cost savings from their proposed merger would lead to a rise in the new company's pretax earnings. Both firms said that the newly-merged entity would see its pretax earnings grow by as much as 1.6 million euros ($1.69 billion) by the year 2003. Telecom Italia and Deutsche Telekom are attempting to win support for their planned merger.

The board of directors of Telecom Italia SpA reached an agreement to support a proposed merger with Deutsche Telekom AG. However, the board established severe conditions for the merger. The conditions could destroy the deal. The proposed Telecom Italia-Deutsche Telekom merger would form the second-largest telecommunications firm in the world. Telecom Italia's board is demanding that the German government make clear the terms in which it will restrict its voting rights in the new firm. The board is also calling for the new company's management to form a strong industrial strategy on how the deal will be successful.

Ron Sommer, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Deutsche Telekom AG, is adding as much as 10.9 billion euros ($11.78 billion) to the company's 'war chest' in order to finance the next stage of Telekom's expansion worldwide. The 10.9 billion euros is being drawn from a capital increase. By the end of June 1999, Telekom will issue as many as 286.3 million shares into the marketplace. The offering will be the largest capital increases in German history.

German telecommunications company MobilCom AG withdraws its offer to acquire o.tel.o Communications GmbH and suffers 12% drop in its stock price. Mannesmann Arcor will now acquire o.tel.o Communications.