VerticalNet Says It Has No Interest in Ventro

On a day when the rumors about J.P. Morgan (JPM) being acquired were all but confirmed, another talked about deal was dismissed by one of the main purported participants.

VerticalNet (VERT), the Horsham, Pa.-based company that runs Internet communities for industry professionals, said Tuesday evening that it's not in talks to buy Ventro (VNTR), which runs online exchanges in the life-sciences and health industries.

The announcement came after days of speculation about a deal, which pushed up Ventro's stock and of course pushed down VerticalNet's. (TSC wrote about the speculation last week.) ...