At a time when UNITED TECHNOLOGIES and HONEYWELL are mooting a merger of their groups, GE - GENERAL ELECTRIC, the world's biggest conglomerate ($ 550 billion de dollars market capitalisation) is thwarting their scheme by offering to buy HONEYWELL for $ 44 billion, a sum which the latter has agreed to accept. This will be the biggest takeover operation in industry's history and will take the form of swapping shares by way of 1,055 GE shares for one HONEYWELL share. Operating in the field of...