Berkshire Hathaway says its $4.5 billion swoop for manufacturing and services group Marmon Holdings Inc. is the biggest non-insurance deal it has done. Privately held Marmon, with an international association of more than 125 businesses in sectors including wire and cable, transportation services and industrial products, looks like a sensible fit for Warren Buffett, whose stable of interests ranges from insurance to media to metals. One wonders what the next Berkshire Hathaway CEO will have to do to make a mark on the Megalopolis that Warren built. 
    
Investor Christopher Davis, whose firm is buying $1.2 billion of stock in Merrill Lynch & Co Inc at a substantial discount, is known as a long-term value player who sometimes does years of research before making a portfolio decision. About 35 percent of Davis’ holdings are in financial services companies. Kenneth C. Feinberg, a co-portfolio manager for Davis, said his company contacted Merrill Lynch about two weeks ago, inquiring if it would be interested in getting an outside investor.
    
Banco Itau, Brazil’s second-biggest private sector bank, is set to spend around a billion dollars to buy Spanish group BBVA’s private banking arm for Latin America, an unsourced newspaper reported. The deal could be officially announced in the coming days but it would have to be approved beforehand by the U.S. Federal Reserve, the newspaper said.