shareholders

AAI is unchanged at $7.32 at last check.

The deal would give Southwest a foothold in Atlanta and routes to Mexico and the Caribbean in line with the company's efforts to expand its coverage area.

Southwest has to receive approval from federal antitrust regulators before it can close the deal.

Southwest Airlines (LUV) is up 0.65% to $12.40 in midday trade, after AirTran Airways (AAI) shareholders approved selling the discount airline to Southwest for $1.4 billion.

The dividend represents an annual yield of 1.8% based on a share price of $28.90, and is payable May 10th to shareholders of record on April 29, 2011.

In addition, BNY Mellon's board of directors has approved an increase to its share buyback program that brings the total common shares allowable for repurchase to 47 million, representing 4% of common outstanding shares.

The action was done in anticipation of the bank's plans to repurchase up to $1.3 billion wort

Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE:BK) announced a $0.13 quarterly dividend, up 44% from the previous dividend of $0.09 per share.

The deal follows a fierce battle for the German cable operator.

Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LBTYA) announced today an agreement to acquire KBW, the third largest cable TV operator in Germany.

Halogen Limited is jointly owned by an affiliate of Primavera Capital Management and Jianhua Yang, chief executive officer and chairman of the company's board, who owns approximately 55% of the Halogen's outstanding ordinary share

Chemspec International (CPC) announced Monday that it has signed a definitive agreement to merge with Halogen Limited and Halogen Mergersub, a Cayman Islands exempted company wholly owned by Halogen.

The company stated, "The fourth quarter net loss attributable to common shareholders included costs associated with the moratorium on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, impairments at several Gulf of Mexico shelf properties

ATP Oil & Gas Corporation (NASDAQ:ATPG) reported a Q4 loss of $4.06 per share, compared to a loss of $0.80 per share in Q4 2009. Revenue for the quarter however was up 90.7% year-over-year to $141.75 million, below the consens

The higher price is contingent on Rio gaining acceptances from holders of more than half of Riversdale shares by March 23.

RIO, which extended the offer period to April 1, said it would not raise its offer in the absence of a competing offer.

Rio Tinto plc (RIO) raised its cash offer for Riversdale Mining to $16.50 per share, up from the $16 offered in December.

The dividend is payable on April 5, 2011 to stockholders of record as of March 22, 2011.

Shares are up 0.74% to $15.07.

One Liberty Properties (OLP) announced today that its Board of Directors has approved a quarterly dividend for the company's common stock of $0.33 per share.

Beginning April 5, the company will reportedly distribute one share for every two shares held to shareholders of record as of March 22. The amount is payable in cash; the amount based on the closing price on March 22.

The company will have about 53.9 million outstanding shares after the split, up from the current 2 million shares.

Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) is up 0.26% to $73.25 in midday trade after the investment broker's board approved a 3-for-2 stock split of its common stock to be paid in the form of a 50% stock dividend, according to AP report.

The two private equity firms had earlier made a $43.50-per-share buyout offer, which JCG shareholders in a special meeting held on March 1, 2011, approved. JCG common stock will be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange.

TPG Capital had taken a majority stake in the company in 1997 and remained majority shareholder until JCG went public in 2006.

Shares are up 0.18% to $43.59.

J.Crew Group (JCG) announced today that its $3 billion deal to be purchased by two private investment firms, TPG Capital and Leonard Green & Partners, has been completed.

Also today, Genzyme's board unanimously recommended that shareholders accept the deal with Sanofi for all shares of Genzyme common stock at $74 a share.

Genzyme shares are up 0.17%, or $0.13, to $75.78.

Shares of Genzyme (GENZ) are higher after Bloomberg reported that Chief Executive Henri Termeer will get $158.4 million in the sale of Genzyme to French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis (SNY).