TMCnet News
M&A Navigator: Deal pipeline - 12 August(M&A Navigator Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) The following is a list a of deals covered in detail by M&A Navigator this week: - BELGIAN RAJAPACK BUYS PACKAGING FIRM FESTAPACK Belgian logistic packaging company Rajapack, part of French packaging products manufacturer and distributor Raja SA, announced the acquisition of Festapack, a specialist in printed cardboard packaging. Status: Closed - VIMPELCOM MAY TAKE OVER ITALIAN WIND, EGYPTIAN ORASCOM Dutch-registered telecoms company Vimplecom (NYSE:OVIP) might buy Italian mobile operator Wind Telecomunicazioni and 51% of Egyptian sector player Orascom Telecom (CAI:ORTE) from Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris. Status: Speculation - CZECH UPC CR MIGHT ACQUIRE SLOANE PARK Czech cable TV operator and Internet services provider UPC Ceska Republika (UPC CR) might acquire sector company Sloane Park Property Trust. Status: Speculation - US NATURAL NUTRIENTS INKS LOI TO FORM JV WITH TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM US Natural Nutrients and Minerals (OTCBB:USMN) has signed a letter of intent (LoI) with The Texas A&M University System to evaluate the potential setting up of a joint venture to sell new soil and mineral products. Status: Exclusivity - VEDANTA CONFIRMS TALKS WITH UK CAIRN OVER POTENTIAL DEAL India-focused mining group Vedanta Resources (LON:VED) confirmed media reports that it is in talks with British oil and gas group Cairn Energy (LON:CNE) to buy a stake in its Indian unit, Cairn India (BOM:532792). Status: Talks - SCHAFER CORP WRAPS UP ASYNCHRONY SOLUTIONS TAKEOVER US scientific and engineering products provider Schafer Corporation has closed the acquisition of Saint Louis-based agile software developer Asynchrony Solutions for an undisclosed sum. Status: Closed - ARYZTA BUYS OUT MAIDSTONE BAKERIES JV Swiss bakery Aryzta (SWF:ARYN) said it would buy the 50% stake of Canadian quick service restaurant operator Tim Hortons (TSE:THI) in their Maidstone Bakeries venture for CAD475m (USD454m/EUR354m) to expand its presence in North America. Status: Agreed - GLOBALOPTIONS TO SHED FORENSIC DNA ARM TO LSR US risk management services provider GlobalOptions Group (NASDAQ:GLOI) has agreed to divest its forensic DNA solutions and products subsidiary, Bode Technology Group, to LSR Acquisition Corp for up to USD30.5m (EUR23.8m) in cash. Status: Agreed - UNITED DRUG BUYS INFORMED GROUP FOR EUR14M Irish healthcare company United Drug (ISE:UDG) has acquired sector firm Informed Decisions Group in a drive to broaden its sales and marketing services in the UK and US. Status: Closed - INTEGRA GROUPS DIVESTS DRILLING RIG MAKER Russian onshore oilfield services company Integra Group (LON:INTE) has finalised the USD40m (EUR30.1m) sale of its Yekaterinburg drilling rig manufacturing business Zao Urbo to Russian private equity group United Capital Partners. Status: Closed - RIO TINTO REPORTEDLY INTERESTED IN BUYING STAKE IN RUSSIAN URALKALI Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) (ASX:RIO) could buy a stake in Russian potash producer Uralkali (MCX:URKA) from its biggest shareholder, Russian businessman Suleiman Kerimov. Status: Talks - KNOC NEARING DEAL WITH UK DANA PETROLEUM The Korea National Oil Corp (KNOC) is set to be close to signing a GBP1.7bn (USD2.6bn/EUR2.1bn) takeover agreement with British oil group Dana Petroleum (LON:DNX). Status: Talks; Speculation - US SMARTRONIX BUYS COGON SYSTEMS TO EXPAND HEALTH IT PORTFOLIO US IT company Smartronix announced the acquisition of health IT firm Cogon Systems aimed at further expanding the company's health information technology business. Status: Closed - DUTCH AALBERTS TARGETS GROWTH VIA ACQUISITIONS Dutch industrial group Aalberts Industries (AMS:AALB) is seeking a further growth that will be achieved also via acquisitions. Status: Bidding - LI & FUNG TO ACQUIRE US JILMAR CORP Hong Kong-based consumer goods exporter Li & Fung (HKG:0494) said it would take over US footwear maker Jimlar Corp in an effort to grow its business. Status: Agreed - UBM BUYS CHILDREN, BABY PRODUCTS TRADESHOW IN CHINA British business media group UBM (LON:UBM) has acquired Chinese business-to-business tradeshow Shanghai International Children-Baby-Maternity Products Expo (CBME) in a move to enter the rapidly-growing baby products market in China. Status: Closed - SEVERSTAL SAID TO BE SELLING PART OF US BUSINESS Severstal North America, part of Russian steel producer Severstal (MCX:CHMF), has invited potential buyers of its North American business to present their bids by Friday. Status: Auction; Speculation - BULGARIAN FIBANK BUYS MINORITY STAKE IN HEALTH INSURER Bulgarian lender First Investment Bank (BUL:5F4), or FIBank, has bought a minority 2% stake in local health insurer Zdravnoosiguritelna Kasa Prime Health. Status: Closed - FRENCH PRO.ARCHIVES BUYS SUPPLIER AGO FOR EUR11M Pro.Archives, a French firm that offers electronic and physical archiving solutions for property managers, has taken over its major supplier AGO for EUR11m (USD14m). Status: Closed - AHLSTROM TO BUY CHINESE FIRM FOR EUR22.5M Finland's fibre-based materials producer Ahlstrom Corp (HEL:AHL1V) has struck a deal to buy Chinese Shandong Puri Filter & Paper Products from UK paper maker Purico Group for EUR22.5m (USD29.5m). Status: Agreed - UK FINDEL SHEDS CWIO UNIT TO CUT DEBT British home shopping and education supplies firm Findel (LON:FDL) has agreed to divest its CWIO unit to online retailer The Hut Group for GBP600,000 (USD942,000/EUR730,000) in cash as it aims to raise funds to cut its debt. Status: Agreed - BASIC ELEMENT REPORTEDLY INKS MOU TO MERGE AVIATION OPS WITH SKY EXPRESS Basic Element, the holding company of Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to merge its aviation operations with low-cost airline Sky Express. Status: Exclusivity; Speculation - POLAND'S ENEA LIKELY TO ATTRACT FOUR BIDDERS Four suitors are reportedly planning to submit bids for the 51% stake in Polish electricity utility Enea (WAR:ENA) which was put up for sale by the treasury. Status: Bidding; Speculation - TURKISH ENKA TO ACQUIRE 20% OF SHIPYARD SOLI Turkish construction group Enka (IST:ENKAI) said it would acquire a 20% stake in local shipbuilder Soli Gemi Insaat for USD4m (EUR3.1m). Status: Agreed - BP EUROPE CEO DENIES PLANS FOR ANY DISPOSALS British oil and gas giant BP (LON:BP) has no plans to sell any parts of its European division within the USD30bn asset disposal programme aimed to raise funds to cover damages from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Status: Denied - APACHE CLOSES ACQUISITION OF BP'S PERMIAN BASIN BUSINESS US energy group Apache Corp (NYSE:APA) has finalised the USD3.1bn (EUR2.4bn) acquisition the oil and gas operations in the Permian Basin of UK's BP (LON:BP). Status: Closed - SCHIPHOL TAKES FULL CONTROL OVER JFK IAT IN USA Amsterdam airport operator Schiphol has fully acquired JFK IAT, the operator of Terminal 4 at New York's airport JF Kennedy (JFK). Status: Closed - US NUEARTH BUYS BELGIAN CHEMISTRY BUSINESS AB TECH US green technology firm NuEarth Corporation announced the completion of the acquisition of Belgian cleaning products maker AB Technology, without providing financial details. Status: Closed - AMERISTAR CASINOS CONFIRMS STUDYING STRATEGIC OPTIONS, SALE US casino operator Ameristar Casinos (NASDAQ:ASCA) confirmed that its board of directors has been evaluating strategic options for the company, including a sale, and has hired investment bank Lazard to seek buyers. Status: Auction - DANONE TO EXIT WBD'S CAPITAL French food group Danone (EPA:BN) has agreed to sell back its 18.4% stake in Russian dairy company Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods (NYSE: WBD), or WBD. Status: Agreed - NOUVEON BUYS INCENTRIC SOLUTIONS US management consulting firm NouvEON announced the acquisition of integrated IT solutions provider InCentric Solutions, without providing financial details. Status: Closed - UK HEALTHCARE PROVIDER NESTOR REBUFFS ACROMAS TAKEOVER BID UK healthcare provider Nestor Healthcare (LON:NSR) rejected an unsolicited offer, worth GBP113m (USD177m/EUR137m), from insurance and tourism group Acromas. Status: Bidding - GERMAN MANROLAND DENIES MERGER RUMOURS German printing equipment maker Manroland has denied rumours about a potential merger with sector player Koenig & Bauer (ETR:SKB). Status: Denied - UGI AGREES TO BUY BP'S DANISH LPG BUSINESS US energy company UGI Corp (NYSE:UGI) unveiled an agreement to acquire the Danish liquefied petroleum gas business of UK oil major BP (LON:BP). Status: Agreed - BARILLA MULLS OVER SELLING GERMAN BAKERY CHAIN Italian dry pasta maker Barilla is willing to dispose of its German bakery chain Kamps. Status: Auction - AMERISTAR CASINOS HIRES LAZARD TO SEEK BUYERS US casino operator Ameristar Casinos (NASDAQ:ASCA) has been reportedly considering selling the company and has appointed investment bank Lazard to run the process. Status: Auction; Speculation - RWE STARTS AUCTION FOR GERMAN GAS GRID THYSSENGAS German utility RWE (ETR:RWE) has initiated the auction for the divestment of its gas transmission network Thyssengas. Status: Auction - POLKOMTEL INTERESTED IN SMALLER DIALOG, EXATEL AND PLAY Polish mobile telecom group Polkomtel is willing to buy smaller competitors Dialog, Exatel and Play, the company's CEO Jaroslaw Bauc told reporters. Status: Bidding - HONEYWELL BUYS ESSILOR STAKE IN SPERIAN US diversified technology group Honeywell International (NYSE:HON) said it has acquired the stake of French ophthalmic and optical products maker Essilor (EPA:EI) in personal protective equipment maker Sperian Protection (EPA:SPR). Status: Closed; Bidding - POLAND LIKELY TO SELL ENTIRE STAKE IN GRUPA LOTOS BY YEAR-END Poland could sell off its 53% interest in the country's second-largest oil refiner Lotos (WAR:LTS) by the end of the year, if an attractive offer comes up, deputy treasury minister Mikolaj Budzanowski said. Status: Auction - OAKTREE NEGOTIATING PURCHASE OF IRISH HOUSE BUILDER MCINERNEY US investment firm Oaktree is negotiating to acquire Irish home builder McInerney Holdings (ISE:MK9), which has been trying to restructure its debt for months. Status: Talks - RENAULT-NISSAN WITHDRAWS FROM BUYING S KOREAN SSANGYONG French carmaker Renault (EPA:RNO) and Japanese Nissan (TYO:7201) announced a decision to leave the race for troubled South Korean sector company Ssangyong Motor (SEO:003620). Status: Bidding; Terminated - CHINATRUST FINANCIAL SAYS WILL PURSUE AIG'S NAN SHAN ACQUISITION Taiwanese banking and financial group Chinatrust Financial Holding (TPE:2891) said it would pursue the acquisition of Nan Shan Life, the local life insurance unit of AIG (NYSE:AIG), if the current deal fails. Status: Bidding - RBC SAID TO BE LOOKING FOR BUYERS FOR US INSURANCE UNIT Royal Bank of Canada (TSE:RY), or RBC, is seeking buyers for its US insurance unit, Liberty Life Insurance Co. Status: Auction - BLACKSTONE KEEN ON BUYING NON-WOVEN MATERIALS MAKER POLYMER US private equity firm Blackstone (NYSE:BX) is exclusively negotiating the acquisition of non-woven materials maker Polymer (OTC:POLGA), which is currently controlled by private equity firm MatlinPatterson. Status: Exclusivity - KKR, TPG MAY BUY STAKE IN MORGAN STANLEY'S REAL ESTATE FUND US private equity firms KKR & Co (NYSE:KKR) and TPG are interested in buying a stake in Morgan Stanley's (NYSE:MS) real estate fund. Status: Bidding - FORD, MAZDA GET GOVT APPROVAL TO END CHINA JV Car maker Ford Motor (NYSE:F) and its partners Mazda Motor Corp (TYO:7261) and Chongqing Changan Automobile Co (SHE:000625) have received approval from the Chinese government to terminate their joint venture in the country. Status: Speculation - FRANCE TELECOM CONFIRMS TALKS TO BUY STAKE IN MOROCCAN MEDITEL France Telecom (EPA:FTE) confirmed it is in talks with Morocco's second-largest telecom operator Meditel to buy a stake in the company. Status: Talks - LONE STAR PUTS BI-LO ON THE BLOCK US private equity firm Lone Star Funds has put US supermarket chain Bi-Lo up for sale and received interest from strategic and financial buyers. Status: Auction - IRISH ELAN POSTPONES DRUG DELIVERY UNIT SALE Irish biotechnology company Elan Corp (ISE:3072950, NYSE: ELN) said it has postponed the planned sale of its drug delivery operations as a result of the challenging economic climate. Status: Delayed - GERMAN QSC MULLS OVER SMALL TAKEOVERS German telecommunications provider QSC AG (ETR:QSC) may carry out small-scale acquisitions in the IT field. Status: Bidding - GERMAN KOENIG & BAUER MULLS OVER MERGING WITH MANROLAND German printing equipment maker Koenig & Bauer (ETR:SKB) is set to consider a possible merger with sector player Manroland. Status: Bidding, Speculation - BANCO POPULAR, BARCLAYS LIKELY TO BID FOR BPN Spanish lender Banco Popular (MCE:POP) and British banking group Barclays (LON:BARC) are considering to join the re-privatisation of Portuguese BPN - Banco Portugues de Negocios. Status: Bidding; Speculation - INTERNATIONAL POWER EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE TAKEOVER BY GDF SUEZ French utility GDF Suez (EPA:GSZ) is expected to announce on a deal to acquire British sector player International Power (LON:IPR). Status: Talks - CZECH AIRLINES TO UNLOAD TECHNICAL MAINTENANCE UNIT Czech Airlines (CSA) plans to divest its technical maintenance unit, servicing Boeing planes. Status: Auction - ITALIAN TBS, CHINESE CMIC INK PRELIMINARY JV DEAL Italian medical IT group Telematic & Biomedical Services (BIT:TBS), or TBS, has sealed a preliminary deal with Chinese CMIC, part of drug maker China National Pharmaceutical Corporation (SINOPHARM), to form a clinical engineering joint venture. Status: Exclusivity - KGHM INTENDS TO BOOST TAURON HOLDING TO 10% Polish copper producer KGHM (WAR:KGHM) is willing to raise its stake in the country's second-biggest utility Tauron to up to 10%. Status: Bidding - UK 3I REPORTEDLY TO DIVEST GERMAN NORMA, MWM UK-based private equity firm 3i (LON:III) is said to be planning the divestment of two of its German companies in deals valued at above EUR1bn (USD1.328bn) in total. Status: Speculation - TURKISH JV SUBMITS HIGHEST BID FOR BOGAZICI POWER GRID A joint venture between Turkish construction group Is-Kaya Insaat and engineering firm MMEKA has offered the highest price of USD2.99bn (EUR2.25bn) in the auction for the privatisation of the Bogazici power distribution grid serving Istanbul. Status: Bidding - ACS LIKELY TO SELL PART OF ABERTIS SHARES TO CVC Spanish construction group ACS (MCE:ACS) is nearing a deal to sell part of its 25.8% stake in toll road operator Abertis (MCE:ABE) to British private equity firm CVC. Status: Speculation - US FIRST RESERVE, ALPHA REPORTEDLY INTERESTED IN AUSTRALIAN WHITEHAVEN US private equity firm First Reserve and miner Alpha Natural Resources (NYSE:ANR) are said to be planning a USD2.75bn (EUR2.07bn) buyout of Australian coal miner Whitehaven Coal (ASX:WHC). Status: Speculation - US NATIONAL INVESTMENT CORP REAL ESTATE GETS TAKEOVER OFFER US National Investment Corp Real Estate Holdings (PINK:NLIR) said it had got a takeover offer from Canadian real estate developer AlphaVita. Status: Bidding - NAVISITE REJECTS ATLANTIC INVESTORS BUYOUT OFFER US enterprise-hosting and application services provider NaviSite (NASDAQ:NAVI) said that its board of directors has rejected the takeover bid of Atlantic Investors priced at USD3.05 (EUR2.30) per share in cash and announced on 12 July. Status: Bidding ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) (c) 2010 M2 COMMUNICATIONS |