Des Moines Register: Canadian private equity firm Brookfield Asset Management is offering to buy West Des Moines-based American Equity Investment Life Holding Co. for $3.4 billion, potentially completing the investor’s transition from a life raft to a hostile partner. Brookfield, which bought a 20% stake in American Equity three years ago to help the 800-employee Iowa fixed annuity firm stave off acquisition attempts from competitors, wants to move fast. In a Monday letter to American Equity board Chair David Mulcahy, Brookfield Chief Investment Officer Sachin Shah wrote that the company wants to close the purchase by Friday. Brookfield is offering $55 a share for the 62.1 million outstanding American Equity shares that the company does not own. The deal values the company about 35% above where its stock traded at the end of trading last week. American Equity shareholders would receive about 70% of the payment in cash. The rest of the payment would come in the form of Brookfield stock, which traded for about $31.50 per share Monday.