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Anthem to buy Cigna to create biggest U.S. health insurer

The deal — the biggest ever in the health insurance industry — comes three weeks after Aetna Inc agreed to buy Humana Inc for $37 billion and is part of an industry-wide consolidation following the roll-out of President Barack Obama’s healthcare law. Anthem and Cigna are two of just four major insurers that administer self-insured plans for major companies. The other two are UnitedHealth Group Inc and Aetna.

-U.S. airlines return to fuel hedging, get burned again

At least two U.S. airlines have started hedging their fuel costs after a months-long hiatus. Southwest Airlines Co and United Continental Holdings Inc have added new hedges against a rise in oil prices just months after bets last year cost them hundreds of millions of dollars. With U.S. crude prices falling 21 percent since early June, Southwest appeared to regret the decision.