Murdock completes buyout of Dole Food Co.

Dole Food Co. CEO and Chairman David Murdock has completed a buyout of the company, a deal that takes the Westlake Village-based produce giant private and values it at $1.6 billion.
The merger was approved by shareholders on Oct. 31, the company said. Dole shares will cease trading on the New York Stock Exchange at the close of business on Nov. 1.
Ryland’s Q3 profits jump 415% on higher home sales

Westlake Village-based Ryland Group made a roaring comeback in the third quarter, with profits up 415 percent to $53.6 million. The parent company of national homebuilder Ryland Homes said revenue rose 60.7 percent to $576.4 million on higher sales as the housing market continued to rebound.
Deckers steps up sales
Shares of Goleta-based Deckers Outdoor Corp. jumped 14 percent in after-hours trading as the owner of Ugg, Teva and other casual footwear brands beat Wall Street expectations and said the rest of the year is on track.
Deckers said its acquisition of Hoka One One helped boost third-quarter sales 3 percent to $386.7 million; sales of its flagship Ugg brand gained 1.3 percent. The company, which is building a new headquarters on Hollister Avenue, said a new web site and more retail stores also helped.
Heritage shares rise despite profit dip
Shares of Paso Robles-based Heritage Oaks Bancorp were up 3.33 percent in after-hours trading after third-quarter profits hit analyst expectations and several key metrics painted a rosy picture as the bank spearheads its expansion into Ventura County. Profits actually declined to $2.8 million for the third quarter, down from $6.4 million. But the decline stemmed Read More →
Fraud verdict for former Countrywide unit
[wikichart align=”right” ticker=”NYSE:BAC” showannotations=”true” livequote=”true” startdate=”23-04-2013″ enddate=”23-10-2013″ width=”300″ height=”245″] A fraud verdict against Bank of America and its former Countrywide unit – once a major employer in East Ventura County – has handed the U.S. government a rare victory in a lawsuit that stems from the subprime mortgage meltdown and subsequent financial crisis. A Manhattan Read More →
Amgen profits leap in third quarter
Shares of Thousand Oaks-based Amgen climbed past the $117 mark in after-hours trading Oct. 22 as third-quarter results blew through analyst forecasts with profits rising 24 percent. The world’s biggest biotech company reported a profit of $1.37 billion, or $1.79 per share, on revenue of $4.75 billion. Analysts were forecasting revenue of $4.6 billion and Read More →