Hugh Hefner Playboy bid

Companies such as Duke Energy and DuPont are off and running with megamergers early this year. Even Playboy is among the dealers. And market pros say the trend is far from over. Why are so many U.S. companies tying the knot? Fast growth is hard to come by in any other strategy.

Playboy Enterprises, which founder and major shareholder Hugh Hefner wants to take private, reports that its second-quarter loss eased as gains in its licensing business offset declines in publishing.