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M&A Navigator: Deal pipeline - 17 January(M&A Navigator Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) The following is a list of deals covered in detail by M&A Navigator this week: - BELGIAN IBA ENDS TALKS FOR SALE OF BIOASSAYS STAKE Belgian cancer diagnosis and therapy firm Ion Beam Applications (EBR:IBAB), or IBA, said it had failed to reach an agreement to sell a 60% stake in its testing division Bioassays to a financial consortium and had therefore ended the negotiations. Status: Terminated - KONECRANES TAKES OVER CHILEAN LICENSEE GRUAS KOMAN Finnish lifting machinery and services firm Konecranes (HEL:KCR1V) said it had bought its former Chilean licensee Gruas Koman and its Peruvian start-up unit Koman Gruas Peru for an unspecified sum. Status: Closed - SKYSCANNER ANNOUNCES BUY OF ONLINE TRAVEL FIRM ZOOMBU Scottish flight search engine Skyscanner said it had taken over UK online travel start-up company Zoombu, without disclosing the price, in a move to add other travel options to its offering. Status: Closed - DANISH CARLSBERG RAISES STAKE IN OLIVARIA BREWERY IN BELARUS TO 67.8% Danish brewery group Carlsberg A/S (CPH:CARL B) said it has acquired additional shares in OJSC Olivaria Brewery in Belarus raising its stake to 67.8% from 47%. Status: Closed - US UNIVAR ACQUIRES TURKISH ERAL-PROTEK US chemicals distributor Univar said it had agreed to buy Turkish sector player Eral-Protek, in a move to further increase its presence in Turkey, which is a key market for Univar. Status: Agreed - SIRIUS MINERALS TO TAKE OVER YORK POTASH FOR GBP25M London-listed potash miner Sirius Minerals (LON:SXX) said it had agreed to acquire British sector firm York Potash for GBP25.1m (USD40m/EUR30m) in stock. Status: Agreed - POWERSECURE CLOSES SOUTHERN FLOW DIVESTMENT US energy and smart grid solutions provider PowerSecure International (NASDAQ:POWR) said it has finalised the sale of its Southern Flow Companies unit to Canadian Zedi (CVE:ZED) for USD15.55m (EUR11.7m). Status: Closed - GLOBALVIA IN TALKS TO SELL UP TO 40% TO US, EUROPEAN FUNDS Spanish transportation infrastructure company Globalvia is in talks with between five and eight European and US investment funds to sell 30% to 40% of its capital. Status: Talks - SUNCOKE ENERGY PURCHASES HAROLD KEEN COAL FOR USD40M US metallurgical coke producer SunCoke Energy, a unit of petroleum refiner Sunoco (NYSE:SUN), said it has acquired Virginia-based Harold Keene Coal for nearly USD40m (EUR30m) in cash, including working capital. Status: Closed - ING ADMITS TALKS TO SELL REAL-ESTATE UNIT Dutch financial services group ING (AMS:INGA) confirmed it was in talks with various parties about the sale of its real estate investment management unit, but did not disclosed the names of the interested potential buyers. Status: Talks - UKFI SEEKS ADVISOR FOR NORTHERN ROCK SALE UK Financial Investments (UKFI), the government agency managing the state’s interests in local banks, invited proposals from corporate finance advisors interested to help with the potential sale of bank Northern Rock nationalised in 2008. Status: Auction - BANCO POPOLARE CLOSE TO DISPOSING OF HUNGARIAN UNIT Italian banking group Banco Popolare (BIT:BP) is nearing a deal to divest its Hungarian unit. Status: Talks - DUTCH GMG REPORTEDLY IN TALKS TO SELL MAGAZINE PUBLISHING UNIT Dutch publisher Gijrath Media Groep, or GMG, is negotiating the sale of its loss-making magazine publishing unit, including titles such as Miljonair, JFK, Jackie and Green.2. Status: Talks - SWISS KUEHNE & NAGEL TO BUY THREE S AMERICAN FIRMS Swiss transport and logistics operator Kuehne & Nagel International (VTX:KNIN) said it has agreed to purchase two Colombian firms, Translago and Agencia de Aduanas Excelsia, as well as Ecuador-based Mastertransport, as part of its five-year growth programme. Status: Agreed - EXPERIAN BUYS MAJORITY IN TECHLIGHTENMENT Irish information services firm Experian (LON:EXPN) said it had taken a majority stake in British social media marketing solutions provider Techlightenment from the company’s founders, for an undisclosed amount. Status: Closed - ENI TO CONCLUDE SALE OF GALP STAKE BY MAR 2011 Italian oil and gas group Eni (BIT:ENI) is expected to dispose of its 33.34% stake in Portuguese sector firm Galp Energia (ELI:GALP) by March 2011. Status: Talks - TRADER SAYS WEIR GROUP MAY BID FOR SULZER UK minerals, oil, gas and power equipment maker Weir Group (LON:WEIR) may make a takeover offer for Swiss engineering group Sulzer (SWF:SUN). Status: Speculation - VIMPELCOM’S BOARD CLEARS REVISED TAKEOVER BID FOR WIND TELECOM Russian mobile operator VimpelCom (NYSE:VIP) said its board had greenlighted a revised takeover offer for Italy’s Wind Telecom, previously known as Weather Investments, regardless of the disapproval expressed by one of its biggest shareholders, Norwegian telecom group Telenor (OSL:TEL). Status: Agreed - SERBIA EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR TELEKOM SRBIJA BIDS TO 31 MARCH Serbia has pushed to 31 March the deadline for binding offers for its 51% stake in Telekom Srbija, to give potential buyers more time to prepare their bids, the finance ministry said on Monday. Status: Auction, Delayed - US GRAND AVENUE CHAUFFEURED TRANSPORTATION CLOSES BUY OF SILVER OAK Grand Avenue Chauffeured Transportation, a provider of transportation services in the Greater Nashville area, said it has closed the takeover of local sector player Silver Oak Transportation for an undisclosed price. Status: Closed - IP GROUP ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC INVESTMENT IN TECHNIKOS UK intellectual property developer IP Group (LON:IPO) said it had bought a strategic interest in medical technology fund Technikos, with the aim to further increase its ties with the University of Oxford. Status: Closed - SWISS FEINTOOL REVEALS TAKEOVER APPROACH BY ARTEMIS BETEILIGUNGEN Swiss fineblanking technology specialist Feintool International Holding AG (ETR:FTO) said it has received a takeover approach by holding company Artemis Beteiligungen III AG. Status: Bidding - AUSTRIAN A-TEC AGREES TO UNLOAD DOERRIES SCHARMANN FOR EUR70M Insolvent Austrian holding company A-Tec Industries (WBAG:ATEC) said it has agreed to sell German machine tools producer Doerries Scharmann to Swiss sector company StarragHeckert (SWF:STGN) for EUR70m (USD93.3m). Status: Agreed - VOPAK TO SELL 20% STAKE IN BORCO TERMINAL JV TO BUCKEYE PARTNERS Dutch oil storage firm Royal Vopak (AMS:VPK) said today it had agreed to sell its 20% stake in the Vopak Terminal Bahamas, or BORCO, joint venture to US pipeline and storage terminal operator Buckeye Partners (NYSE:BPL). Status: Agreed - MASSMART SHAREHOLDERS CLEAR WAL-MART DEAL Mark Lamberti, chairman of South African retailer Massmart (JNB:MSM), said that 78.55% of the company's shareholders today voted in favour of US rival Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) buying a majority stake in it. Status: Agreed - BP TO GET 9.5% OF ROSNEFT IN SHARE SWAP DEAL UK's oil major BP (LON:BP) will take a 9.5% stake in Russian state-controlled oil and gas group Rosneft (MCX:ROSN) as part of a "groundbreaking strategic global alliance" and a share swap agreement, the two said in a joint statement. Status: Agreed - INTER RAO SAYS TO BUY 49% IN NORTHGAS Russian power trader and generator Inter RAO (MCX:IRAO) confirmed it had agreed to take over REDI, a UK holding company controlling 49% in Russian gas producer Northgas, without disclosing the price. Status: Agreed - BOPARAN WEIGHS BID FOR NORTHERN FOODS BEFORE FRIDAY DEADLINE Chicken tycoon Ranjit Boparan is still considering a potential bid for British food producer Northern Foods (LON:NFDS) ahead of a Friday deadline by the Takeover Panel, which insisted the businessman either submit an offer or walk away. Status: Bidding - FAURECIA TO BUY INTO DANISH DIESEL EMISSIONS CONTROL FIRM AMMINEX French automotive components supplier Faurecia (EPA:EO) said it would buy 21.2% in Danish diesel emissions control solutions provider Amminex for DKK146.4m (USD26.2m/EUR20m) in cash. Status: Agreed - UK KOFAX TO DISPOSE OF HARDWARE UNIT UK document-driven business process automation solutions provider Kofax (LON:KFX) said it has agreed to sell its hardware activities to German private equity firm Hannover Finanz and the unit's management team for USD23.2m (EUR17.4m). Status: Agreed - SWEDISH TRELLEBORG, GERMAN FREUDENBERG TO FORM ANTIVIBRATION JV Swedish engineering group Trelleborg AB (STO:TREL B) said it had signed a letter of intent (LoI) with German Freudenberg & Co to join forces in the development of antivibration solutions for light- and heavy-duty vehicles. Status: Exclusivity - INDEPENDENT EXPERT CLEARS AMP TAKEOVER PROPOSAL FOR AXA UNIT Australian wealth manager AMP (ASX:AMP) said that independent expert Grant Samuel has approved its proposal to take over AXA Asia Pacific (ASX:AXA), the wealth management unit of French insurer AXA (EPA:AXA), saying it offers "compelling value" to AXA APH's minority shareholders. Status: Agreed - EBAY WRAPS UP BRANDS4FRIENDS TAKEOVER Ebay (NASDAQ:EBAY) said it had finalised the takeover of German fashion and lifestyle online shopping club brands4friends for USD200m (EUR150m) in cash, aiming to beef up its position in Europe. Status: Closed - SWEDISH HMS NETWORKS TO BUY OUT INTELLICOM INNOVATION Swedish industrial network connectivity provider HMS Networks (STO:HMS) said it would buy the remaining 48% it does not already own in Intellicom Innovation, a systems developer for remote control and management of industrial devices and machines. Status: Agreed - ACS CLEARED BY EU TO TAKE OVER HOCHTIEF The European Union (EU) gave the green light to Spanish construction group ACS (MCE:ACS) to buy out German rival Hochtief (ETR:HOT) in an all-stock EUR2.76bn (USD3.7bn) deal. Status: Bidding - JOHNSON CONTROLS SECURES EU GO-AHEAD TO BUY GERMAN CRH US automotive components maker Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI) has won clearance from the European Union (EU) to acquire C. Rob. Hammerstein Group, or CRH, a German metal seat structures and mechanisms producer, for an undisclosed sum. Status: Agreed - PAI PARTNERS PUTS FRENCH INSURANCE BROKER CEP UP FOR SALE French private equity firm PAI Partners is seeking buyers for its insurance broker Compagnie Europeenne de Prevoyance, or CEP, ready to pay between EUR800m (USD1.06bn) and EUR1bn for it. Status: Auction - JOHNSON & JOHNSON MULLS OVER BIDDING FOR UK SMITH & NEPHEW US healthcare group Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) is reviewing the possibility to make a new takeover bid for British medical devices specialist Smith & Nephew (LON:SN). Status: Speculation - COMCAST, NBC DEAL SEEN CLOSING ON 28 JANUARY The planned purchase of a majority in US media conglomerate NBC Universal by cable services provider Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) is expected to be completed on 28 January after receiving approval by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Status: Agreed - J CREW GETS NO RIVAL OFFERS US fashion retailer J Crew (NYSE:JCG) has not been subject to any rival takeover bids and will stick to its previously announced agreement to be taken over by private equity firms TPG Capital and Leonard Green & Partners for USD2.86bn (EUR2.15bn). Status: Agreed - ARCELORMITTAL, NUNAVUT MAKE CAD1.50 P/S JOINT OFFER FOR BAFFINLAND Steel major ArcelorMittal (AMS:MT) and Nunavut Iron Ore Acquisition said they have teamed up to fully acquire Canadian miner Baffinland (TSE:BIM) at a revised cash price per share of CAD1.50 (USD1.52/EUR1.14). Status: Bidding - US GENBAND CLOSES CEDAR POINT COMMUNICATIONS TAKEOVER US IP infrastructure and applications solutions provider Genband said it has completed the purchase of IP switching systems maker Cedar Point Communications for an undisclosed sum. Status: Closed ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) (c) 2011 M2 COMMUNICATIONS |