Citing robust growth in Europe and a greater diversification of their business, IBM is showing their viability even in times of economic hardship ... HA! Take that, US Recession! (Too soon?)

Ever since selling off their personal computer division to Lenovo, IBM has been a model in rebranding as they've gone on to redefine their brand as an expert in enterprise-wide information technology and (apparently) they're doing pretty well. Feeling good enough about themselves to buy back a lot of stock and push their earnings up.

Getty Images bought by private equity firm.
The proliferation of user-generated content combined with a changing media environment, sent media stalwart Getty Images seeking out new opportunities for strategic growth, so they put themselves on the block ... The result? A $2.1 billion offer from private equity firm Hellman & Friedman.

Getty was already exploring other areas for business growth (and quite successfully), but as a private company they have greater latitude and more opportunities.