Stocks, markets, and funds for August 2021, as detailed on our site.

In a significant move, Goldman Sachs has announced its intention to acquire NN Group's investment arm, NN Investment Partners, for approximately €1.6 billion. The deal, which was announced on August 19, is set to bring a fully functional business with distribution capabilities into Goldman Sachs' fold.

The acquisition comes at a time when both companies' stocks are trading at bargain levels, according to classic value criteria. NN Group, with a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 8.6 and a price-to-book ratio (P/B) of 0.3, and Goldman Sachs, with a P/E of 7.6 and a P/B of 1.1 for this year, are offering attractive valuations.

NN Group, however, is focusing on its core business, which is insurance, and the acquisition will allow it to streamline its operations. Goldman Sachs, on the other hand, aims to shape NN Investment Partners into a key hub for its European operations.

The integration of NN Investment Partners into Goldman Sachs' operations is expected to be smooth with minimal restructuring. Goldman Sachs will manage approximately $190 billion (around €162 billion) in assets for NN, providing a significant boost to its asset management capabilities.

However, both companies' stocks experienced a brief hiccup after the announcement, which was likely due to the overall market downturn that day. The dividend yield for NN remains a hefty 5.5%, offering an attractive return for investors.

It's worth noting that there are no specific search results detailing Goldman Sachs' role or position in the stock listing of NN Group during the described period. This information was not available at the time of writing.

As the deal progresses, investors will be watching closely to see how the integration of NN Investment Partners into Goldman Sachs unfolds and how it impacts both companies' performance in the future.