Putting up more money: Simon Property Group Inc. is considering raising its $10 billion buyout offer for rival shopping mall owner General Growth Properties Inc., the parent company of the Mall of Louisiana, as early as this week, two people familiar with the matter told the Associated Press. Simon sent a letter to General Growth this week saying it anticipates boosting its offer above that of a proposal put forth by General Growth and three of its largest stakeholders. That means a new Simon offer would have to value General Growth above $15 a share. Simon’s initial offer valued the Chicago-based company at about $9 a share. Indianapolis-based Simon went public last month with its bid for General Growth, but it was rebuffed.
Tight job market improves punctuality: The number of workers who say they come in late to work dropped in 2009, according to a new survey. Sixteen percent of workers say they arrive at their job late at least once a week, down from 20% in last year’s CareerBuilder Survey. CareerBuilder attributes the decrease in tardiness to the tight job market, which employees would rather not reenter. While traffic was cited as the major reason for people being late to work, CareerBuilder listed some of the strangest excuses employees offered for being tardy. Those included the comments “I got mugged and was tied to the steering wheel of my car,” “I dreamt I was already at work” and “My dog swallowed my cell phone.”
