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Business this week
本周經濟要聞
Pfizer called off its $160 billion merger with Allergan after the US Treasury proposed new rules that would severely curtail the benefits of “inversion” takeovers (where an American company buys a foreign one in order to reduce its corporate-tax bill). Allergan is listed in New York but has its corporate headquarters in lower-taxed Ireland, which is where Pfizer would have based the newly combined company. Such deals have become politically toxic in America, but the White House denied that the new regulations were intended specifically to scupper the Pfizer-Allergan deal.
繼美國財政部頒布新規，將嚴厲打擊“稅收倒置”收購（即美國企業收購外國企業到達減稅目的），輝瑞制藥（Pfizer）已中止與艾爾建（Allergan）1600億的并購交易。艾爾建的注冊地在紐約，但其總部卻位于稅率更低的愛爾蘭，原本輝瑞制藥打算將合并后的公司總部也設在愛爾蘭。如今，凡涉及類似倒置收購的并購交易在美國都已經不可行了，不過白宮方面否認新規有針對輝瑞-艾爾建這起并購交易的意思。
America's Justice Department filed a lawsuit to stop the $25 billion merger of Halliburton and Baker Hughes, the world's second- and third-largest oilfield-services companies, citing antitrust concerns. The merger was announced in November 2014 but opposed by some big oil companies. They worried that diminished competition in oil services would put a further squeeze on profits already hit by the fall in oil prices.
美國司法部提起反壟斷訴訟，意圖阻止油田服務商哈里伯頓（Halliburton）以250億美元收購貝克休斯（Baker Hughes）（哈里伯頓和貝克休斯分別是世界第二，第三大油田服務公司）。兩公司于2014年11月宣布合并，當時遭到一些大型石油公司的反對。它們擔心石油服務行業競爭壓力的削弱會進一步擠壓原本就因油價下跌而減少的利潤空間。
The share prices of big French telecoms companies plunged following the collapse of a 10 billion ($11.4 billion) merger between Orange (formerly France Telecom) and Bouygues. The negotiations failed to resolve differences over the value of the deal and the French government's 23% stake in Orange.
Orange（前法國電信）收購布依格電信（Bouygues）的計劃無疾而終，緊接著法國各大電信公司的股價均大幅下跌。就法國政府在Orange23%的股份問題以及100億歐元（合約114億美元）的收購價問題，雙方進行了談判，但最后以失敗告終。
The Reserve Bank of India cut its benchmark interest rate from 6.75% to 6.5%, the lowest it has been in five years. Inflation, usually a headache for the central bank, has eased.
印度央行將基準利率從6.75%下調至6.5%，創5年來最低水平。常令央行頭疼的通脹壓力得到緩解。
A new “fiduciary rule” on financial advice was published by the American government. From now on almost anyone giving investment advice will be required to act in the “best interest” of their clients. They previously had to ensure they were giving only “suitable” advice.
美國政府頒布一項針對金融顧問的“信托人新規”。從現在起，幾乎所有為他人提供投資建議的金融顧問都必須以客戶利益為重。從前他們必須只確保提供“合適”的建議。
Checking out
安邦保險退出喜達屋競購戰
Anbang, a Chinese insurance company that has been buying hotel assets overseas, dropped its bid for Starwood Hotels, which counts the Sheraton and Westin chains among its brands. Marriott had already struck a deal to take over Starwood before Anbang launched its rival offer.
中國保險公司安邦保險退出喜達屋競購戰（安邦保險一直在對海外酒店進行收購），后者旗下囊括喜來登、威斯汀連鎖等酒店品牌。在安邦保險涉足競購喜達屋之前，萬豪酒店就已與喜達屋達成相關收購協議。
A flutter of consolidation among America's smaller airlines looked likely after Alaska Airlines agreed to buy Virgin America in a $4 billion deal. The new carrier will become America's fifth-largest. Virgin America was started by Richard Branson in 2004.
阿拉斯加航空（Alaska Airlines）同意以40億美元收購維珍航空（Virgin America），合并成美國第五大航空公司。本次收購很可能迫使其他小型航空公司間出現合并潮。維珍航空由理查德·布蘭森（Richard Branson）于2004年創立。
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