Blackstone-backed rental home firms in $11.2bn merger
Blackstone-backed Invitation Homes and Starwood Waypoint Homes on Thursday agreed to merge their US institutional rental home business in an all-stock deal that will result in an entity with a combined market capitalisation of about $11.2bn. (WSJ)

Court blocks Elliott bid to oust Akzo Nobel chairman
A Dutch court has blocked Elliott Advisors’ bid to oust Antony Burgman, the chairman of Akzo Nobel. The US activist investor - with a 9.5% stake in the Dulux owner - had sought an emergency shareholders’ meeting to vote on Burgman continuing as chairman. (Telegraph)