"Dow Chemical, DuPont Reach Deal on Merger"

"Dow Chemical and DuPont agreed to combine their operations into one company that will subsequently split into three, marking one of the largest mergers in the history of business.

With collective market capitalization of $130 billion, the combined company would be known as DowDuPont, the companies said Friday in a statement.

After completing the deal, they said they would pursue a split into three companies — one focused on agriculture, one on material science and one on specialty products. They estimated it would take up to two years to complete the split."

Nathan Bomey reports for USA TODAY December 11, 2015.