Business news for Mon, 31 Dec 2007 & with word investment. 20 news.

Tracinda said it will take a 35% stake in Delta Petroleum, making a $684 million investment in the energy company. The deal shows how many smaller energy companies could face difficulties financing their capital plans in coming years.

Bush signed legislation to allow states and local governments to cut investment ties with Sudan because of the violence in Darfur.

BEIJING (AP) - Beijing is easing a ban on foreign investment in its securities industry but...

Nasdaq said the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. cleared Borse Dubai's plan to buy a stake in Nasdaq.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Nasdaq Stock Market Inc. has received clearance from The Committee on Foreign Investment for Borse Dubai's investment in Nasdaq, the New York-based exchange said Monday. The approval paves the way for Nasdaq to proceed with its purchase of Stockholm-based OMX AB and allows Borse Dubai to transfer its OMX shares to Nasdaq once its stake in OMX reaches at least 67%, Nasdaq said. Nasdaq had originally announced the approval on Friday but withdrew the announcement, noting that it was distributed in error.

China Investment Corporation (CIC), which has a 10 per cent stake in private equity group Blackstone and invested $5 billion into Morgan Stanley, has pumped $20 billion ($£10 billion) into the China Development Bank to transform it into a commercial lender.

THE white-hot infrastructure investment boom is showing no signs of slowing down, with business borrowing growing at its fastest pace for two decades.

Tracinda will take a 35% stake in Delta Petroleum, under an agreement for the firm to make a $684 million investment in the energy company and acquire shares at a price representing a 23% premium from Friday's closing price.

TEL AVIV (MarketWatch) -- Magic Software Enterprises Ltd., the Or Yehuda, Israel, provider of business-integration and application-development technology, sold its Advanced Answers on Demand subsidiary to Fortissimo Capital for $17 million. Fortissimo is the Rosh ha'Ayin, Israel, investment firm. Magic expects to post a more than $9 million gain on the sale of AAOD, which develops software for application in long-term health care, including retirement facilities as well as home-health and rehabilitation agencies. As part of the deal, Magic has licensed to AAOD the right to continue to sell its product portfolio for three years.

After riding into 2007 on a wave of profits, investment banks face stiff challenges in 2008.

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Kirk Kerkorian's Tracinda is going to buy 35% of Delta Petroleum for $684 million, or $19 a share, the companies said Monday. The investment is at 23% premium to Friday's close. This transaction will allow Delta Petroleum to accelerate development drilling activities in its core areas, including the Piceance and Paradox Basins. "Under (CEO) Roger (Parker's) leadership, Delta Petroleum has become a very important company in the industry, with valuable resource plays, a strong asset base and well-positioned exploration projects that we believe hold significant growth potential," Tracinda said.

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Merrill Lynch on Monday completed a previously announced deal with Aegon , where it's selling its life insurance unit for $1.25 billion in cash. Aegon's Transamerica companies will continue to supply insurance and investment products, including offering the flagship Merrill Lynch Investor Choice Annuity product through the acquired Merrill Lynch subsidiaries. Merrill Lynch expects to record a gain on sale during the fourth quarter of 2007 and anticipates the transaction to be slightly accretive to earnings per share and to have a positive effect on return on equity in 2008 after redeployment of proceeds. Aegon expects the acquisition to add scale to its existing business and to have a marginally positive effect on earnings per share.

HULL-BASED entrepreneur Diane Rothwell has launched an online lingerie business with support from Partnership Investment Finance (PIF).

From banks to telephones, an airline to shopping malls, and semiconductors to airports, the reach of two state-linked investment firms from the city-state of Singapore extends around the world.

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Blue Oar , a U.K. stockbroker and investment bank, said underlying pretax profit for the year will be broadly in line with expectations, with "significant" net cash. "We are confident that the restructuring of the group and the investment made in our platform in 2007 will deliver major benefits in 2008 and beyond, subject of course to market conditions," said CEO Andrew Monk.

China Development Bank has received a US$20bn capital injection from Central Huijin Investment Co.

Merrill Lynch is in more trouble than it cares to admit and the recent investment by Singapore's Temasek does not appear to be enought to stave off questions about the extent of the banks exposure to bad loans in the mortgage market.

The young Turks who made their mark as early backers of Facebook have raised a second investment round more than four times as large as...

Question: Are I Bonds a legitimate investment, and how do I buy them?

As City types took some time off to celebrate Christmas and usher in the new year, there was little small talk around. The peace and quiet gave us time to reflect on the year gone by, and we looked to AIM (the alternative investment market) for inspiration. Unfortunately, there was little forthcoming.