The news yesterday that Nokia Siemens Networks will purchase Motorola’s network equipment business for $1.2 billion is one sign of an emerging trend in M&A: the increase in midmarket deals.

To be sure, the first half of the year was sluggish for all mergers and acquisitions. A total of 2,969 deals were completed in the first five months of 2010, slightly below the 3,065 for the same time period if 2009 and nearly 40 percent of the 4,754 that were closed in 2007, PricewaterhouseCoopers reports. more

In January, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) launched an Importer Security Filing program, more commonly referred to as “10+2.” The program gained the moniker “10+2” because it requires importers to electronically file 10 pieces of information and carriers to file two pieces of data, both with the CBP, 24 hours before cargo is loaded onto a ship. more

While banks continue to keep a tight rein on their purse strings, businesses increasingly are turning to new funding avenues. At least a few management teams see a recovery – albeit shaky – under way, with the S&P 500 up about 14 percent for the 12 months ending in June, and manufacturing activity continuing to grow. Execs want to move ahead with investments to boost productivity, expand market share, or launch new products. That’s the conclusion of a recent report by Celent.

To get there, a small but growing number of firms are turning to Islamic finance, Celent reports. Islamic banks across the world hold more than $900 billion in assets, including $114 billion of Sukuk, or financial certificates that are similar to bonds but comply with Shariah, or Islamic law. Among other restrictions, Islamic law prohibits the paying of interest. Instead, bondholders are paid from the cash flows generated by specific assets, which are placed in a special-purpose vehicle as part of the deal, Celent notes. more

Reinforcing a trend that was seen in last year’s HSBC U.S. Survey on International Business, which I wrote about here, the most recent HSBC International Business Survey of 650 senior finance execs found that many see growth opportunities in foreign markets. In fact, nearly three-quarters of respondents increased their overseas sales targets; that’s up from 56 percent a year ago. More than half said that their overseas business was growing faster than their domestic operations.

While Canada and the U.K. were mentioned most frequently as the top markets for cross-border transactions, execs saw greater long-term opportunity in China, with 45 percent of respondents saying that it had the greatest growth potential. India came in second, with 27 percent of the vote. “The creation of huge middle classes” in these countries has caught execs’ attention, says Christopher Davies, senior executive vice president and head of commercial banking with HSBC. more