U.S. Stocks Gain on M&A; GlobalSantaFe, Transocean, Merck Shares Advance

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. stocks gained after $35 billion
in acquisitions allayed concern that this year's record pace of
takeovers will slow and Merck & Co.'s earnings topped analysts'
estimates.

GlobalSantaFe Corp., the world's second-biggest offshore
oil and gas driller, climbed to a record after agreeing to be
bought by larger rival Transocean Inc. Merck jumped the most in
more than three months and accounted for almost a third of the
Dow Jones Industrial Average's advance.


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