General Electric Co’s (GE.N) Jeffrey Immelt has just come out to say it is holding discussions on partnerships or an IPO for its NBC Universal unit. Sources familiar with the talks have told Reuters that GE and cable operator Comcast Corp (CMCSA.O) are discussing a deal.

Mexican brewer FEMSA (FMSAUBD.MX)(FMX.N) has talked with Britain’s SABMiller Plc (SAB.L) and Heineken (HEIN.AS) from the Netherlands about a possible sale of beer operations that could be worth billions of dollars, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters.

Last but not least, the UK Takeover Panel has given Xstrata PLC (XTA.L) a deadline to “put up or shut up” on its proposal to merge with rival miner Anglo American (AAL.L).

For more Reuters stories on deals, click here.

Pity the guys who dreamt up two of Wall Street’s coolest tickers — DNA and BUD — both of which look set to be consigned to the dustbin of history.

Genentech grabbed the three letters synonymous with biotechnology by being in on the ground floor of the gene revolution. Anheuser-Busch was lucky enough to have a beer brand known everywhere by one syllable. Now both look doomed.

Genentech faces a $43.7 billion bid from Roche for the 44 percent of the Californian biotech group that it doesn’t already own. Genentech is expected to succomb, albeit after a possibly sweetened offer. Anheuser has already agreed to a $52 billion takeover by InBev.

Their demise may take some of the fun out of stock trading – but investors shouldn’t despair. The thoughtful punter still has other options.

For example:

- BID for auctioneer Sotheby’s

- HOG for Harley-Davidson

- TAP for brewer Molson Coors

- JAVA for Sun Microsystems

- CAR for Avis Budget

- PZZA for pizza company Papa John’s

- BLUD for blood test group Immucor

- LUV for Southwest Airlines (after its Love Field airport in Dallas)

- LVB for Steinway Musical Instruments (after Ludwig van Beethoven)

- LIZ for Liz Claiborne

- PUB for Britain’s Punch Taverns

- WOOF for pet healthcare provider VCA Antech…does that take the biscuit?

And not forgetting the grandaddy of them all:

- T for AT&T (it stands for telephone, of course).

Genentech, meanwhile, will at least keep one thing when it becomes part of a Roche — an ultra-cool address at 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco.

(Photos: Reuters)