Company News for June 22, 2009

• Reports suggest Xstrata and Anglo American (NASDAQ:AAUK) are engaged in merger talks in a deal which could total about $68 billion and result in the combined firm becoming the world's number-three miner behind BHP Billiton (NYSE:BHP - Analyst Report) and Vale (NASDAQ:VALE - Analyst Report)

• Reuters reported 100,000 of Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - Analyst Report) iPhone 3Gs were sold via preorders, explaining away some of the launch's diminished excitement level. Some news reports said Steve Jobs underwent a liver transplant two months ago in Tennessee, and is still due back at month's end

• Walgreen (NYSE:WAG - Analyst Report) is expected to report fiscal third-quarter earnings of 56 cents a share

• UBS (NYSE:UBS - Snapshot Report) upgraded Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC - Snapshot Report) to "buy," based upon housing and infrastructure recovery

• JP Morgan (NYSE:JPM - Analyst Report) upgraded Verisign (NASDAQ:VRSN - Analyst Report) to "overweight" from "neutral"

• According to a Wall Street Journal report, Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN - Analyst Report) may stop conducting businesses with some retailers in states, which would force sales tax payments on online transactions