CenturyTel Inc. (CTL) will acquire rival Embarq Corp. (EQ) in an $11.6 billion deal that could kick-start a flurry of mergers among rural-regional telephone carriers. The deal should be good for the two companies, said Jeff Kagan, an independent analyst who is well known for his coverage of the telecom sector.

The much-ballyhooed battle between Citigroup Inc. (C) and Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) ended with a whimper Friday, as Citi gave up its pursuit of the assets of Wachovia Corp. (WB) – the Charlotte-based lender that was undermined by its broad exposure to subprime assets.

Luxury brands are having finding the going tough under the current economic conditions in the U.S., says Jennifer Yousfi in Money Morning. And the slowdown in Europe is putting further pressure on the sector. Here Jennifer recommends two luxury brands that are likely to weather the global downturn…