Cineworld buying

Regal movie chain

in global expansion

Cineworld Group PLC is buying Regal Entertainment Group for $3.61 billion in a deal that gives the movie-theater operator a larger global footprint. Cineworld, based in the United Kingdom, is paying $23 cash per Regal share, marking an 11 percent premium over its closing price on Monday. The deal is valued at $5.9 billion including debt. Regal, based in Knoxville, Tenn., has 7,315 screens in 561 theaters in the U.S., including a number in the Baltimore area, under brands including Regal Cinemas and United Artists. Cineworld operates 2,227 screens in nations including Britain, Ireland, Poland, and Slovakia. The deal is expected to close during the first quarter of 2018.

—Associated Press

Polaris Alfa plans to hire

50 more in Maryland

Defense contractor Polaris Alpha has more than doubled the size of its Aberdeen Proving Ground office and plans to hire 100 people, including at least 50 people in Maryland. Polaris develops technology and security solutions for defense and intelligence clients and is growing because of increased spending by its federal clients, including the U.S. Army, said Polaris CEO Peter Cannito. “Increasing focus on protecting networks from a cyber perspective is what’s driving a lot of the growth,” he said. Polaris was formed in November 2016 when Bethesda private equity firm Arlington Capital Partners combined three smaller firms, including Annapolis Junction software company Protenus Technologies. Polaris has 1,200 employees and major offices in Alexandria, Va.; Annapolis Junction; Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Fredericksburg, in addition to Aberdeen Proving Ground. Close to 300 people are based in its Maryland offices. As a result of the company’s recent growth, Polaris is on a hiring spree to bring in more cyber and network security experts, data scientists, and software engineers. Cannito said he wants to make the hires as soon as possible. In October, the company moved from a 6,900-square-foot space at Aberdeen Proving Ground to a 16,500-square-foot office nearby to accommodate its growing staff.

—Sarah Gantz