National Business

CALGARY — Strathcona Resources Ltd. says it has closed its merger with Pipestone Energy Corp. Pipestone shareholders voted to approve the deal last week in a move to create the fifth largest oil producer in Canada.

TORONTO — Ontario's insurance regulator says it has taken enforcement action after finding widespread deficiencies related to the sale of life insurance products.

TORONTO — Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. says it has raised US$12 billion for its latest global private equity fund. The company says Brookfield Capital Partners VI is the largest private equity fund it has raised.

CALGARY — The Calgary Real Estate Board says there were 2,441 home sales in September, setting a record high last month.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.'s deputy chief economist says the private sector must be given the proper incentives to invest more in housing in order to address the need for 3.5 million additional units by 2030.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. job openings unexpectedly rose in August, another sign the U.S. labor market remains strong despite higher interest rates — perhaps too strong for the inflation fighters at the Federal Reserve. American employers posted 9.

OTTAWA — The chief executive of Shopify Inc. is discouraging staff from taking on side gigs that divert their attention away from the company.

QUEBEC — IA Financial Corp. has signed a deal to buy U.S. insurance company Vericity Inc. for US$170 million in a move to grow its business in the United States.

TORONTO — EQB Inc. has signed a deal to acquire a 75 per cent stake in independent alternative asset manager ACM Advisors Ltd. Financial terms of the cash-and-share agreement were not immediately available.

TORONTO — Neighbourly Pharmacy Inc. has signed an agreement to be taken private by its largest shareholder in a deal that values the company at about $916 million. Under the letter of intent, Persistence Capital Partners (PCP) has offered to pay $20.