February 19, 2009

The following corporate finance-related stories involving U.S. and European companies were reported by media on Thursday.A number of banks and the leading rating agencies have agreed to a set of principles designed to govern reporting standards and improve transparency in the securitisation industry, the Financial Times said, citing the European Securitisation Forum.

South Korea's No. 2 beer maker Oriental Brewery has drawn interest from Japan's Asahi Breweries Ltd (2502.T: Quote, Profile, Research) and Kirin Holdings Co (2503.T: Quote, Profile, Research) and local firm Lotte Group, in a deal worth about $700 million, the Maeil Business Newspaper reported.