Ideas

The four-county metropolitan Milwaukee housing market posted additional sales gains in June. The region’s housing market had a 25.8 percent increase in sales during June and a 28.6 percent increase in sales during the second quarter, according to the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors (GMAR).

The ongoing European financial crisis, uncertainty about the U.S. economy, the impending federal government “fiscal cliff” and the upcoming U.S. presidential election will play major roles in influencing the stock market in the second half of the year.

WellPoint Inc. announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Amerigroup Corp., one of the nation's leading managed care companies that is focused on meeting the health care needs of financially vulnerable Americans.

CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) announced the acquisition of the tax and accounting business segments of AgStar Financial Services.

BrightScope, a provider of independent financial information and investment research, unveiled its 2012 list of the top 25 Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) firms in the Milwaukee area.

Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC (MMA), a subsidiary of insurance broker White Plains, N.Y.-based Marsh Inc., has announced the acquisition of Wisconsin-based Security Insurance Services Inc., which has offices in New Berlin and Appleton.

At the midway pole, the economy continues to recover.

Robert Buerger has been named senior vice president and chief lending officer at ISB Community Bank in Ixonia.

Dennis Lynch has been appointed to the Fiserv Inc. board of directors. Brookfield-based Fiserv provides financial services technology solutions to a global market.

The A.O. Smith Corporation has increased its quarterly cash dividend by 25 percent, to $.20 per share. The company's Common Stock and Class A Common Stock are affected.