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M&A Navigator: Deal pipeline - 5 May(M&A Navigator Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) The following is a list a of deals covered in detail by M&A Navigator this week: - BEYOND COMMERCE PLANS TO BUY ADJUICE US e-commerce solutions provider Beyond Commerce (OTC:BYOC) said it has signed a letter of intent (LOI) to buy online advertiser Adjuice. Status: Exclusivity - TRANSATLANTIC INKS MOU TO TAKE OVER GAS, OIL OPERATIONS OF TURKISH ZORLU Canadian TransAtlantic Petroleum Ltd (TSE:TNP) said it has sealed a memorandum of understanding to take over the oil and gas operations of energy company Zorlu Enerji Elektrik Uretim AS (IST:ZOREN) in Turkey for USD100m (EUR77m). Status: Exclusivity - US ZAMAGE DIGITAL ART FINDS MERGER CANDIDATE IN CHINA US digital printing firm Zamage Digital Art Imaging Inc (PINK:ZMGD) said it has selected a Chinese software company for a merger transaction. Status: Talks - US THRESHER TO BE TAKEN OVER BY ISRAELI SENERGY US die-casting company Thresher Industries Inc (PINK:THRR) said it has agreed to be taken over by Israeli renewable energy firm Senergy for an undisclosed sum. Status: Agreed - RENAISSANCE CAPITAL'S ARM TAKES STAKE IN DRUG MAKER PROTEK Renaissance Securities, a Cyprus-based unit of Russian investment firm Renaissance Capital, has purchased an 11.85% stake in Russian drug maker and distributor Protek. Status: Closed - WARBURG PINKUS TO ACQUIRE UK RETAIL CHAIN POUNDLAND US private equity firm Warburg Pincus said it has agreed to acquire UK discount shop chain Poundland from buyout firm Advent International, without disclosing the financial parameters of the deal. Status: Agreed - BARK GROUP TAKES OVER SWEDISH TKM US advertising and marketing firm Bark Group (OTC:BKPG) said it has closed the acquisition of Swedish marketing agency Tre Kronor Media (TKM) for an undisclosed price. Status: Closed - FELIX ABBA TO BUY ESTONIAN CONFECTIONERY KALEV CHOCOLATE FACTORY Felix Abba, part of Norwegian diversified group Orkla (OSL:ORK), has agreed to acquire Estonian confectionery Kalev Chocolate Factory (KCF), the company said. Status: Agreed - X5 RETAIL GROUP AGREES TO BOOST STAKE IN MOSCOW UNIT Russian grocery retailer X5 Retail Group (LON:FIVE) said it has struck a deal to lift its shareholding in its Moscow-based unit Express Retail to 60% from the current 40%. Status: Agreed - CANADIAN VITERRA WRAPS UP TENDER OFFER FOR DAKOTA GROWERS, SECURES 88.6% Canadian agri-business firm Viterra Inc (TSX:VT) said it has wrapped up the tender offer for US pasta producer Dakota Growers Pasta Co (OTC:DKGW), in which 88.6% of the company's outstanding common shares had been transferred to a Viterra subsidiary. Status: Bidding - US TESSERA AGREES TO BUY HOME SIIMPEL, TO BOOST PORTFOLIO US miniaturization technologies specialist Tessera Technologies (NASDAQ:TSRA) announced it had signed a definitive agreement to buy home Siimpel, a maker of micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) based camera solutions, for some USD15m (EUR12m) in cash. Status: Agreed - BANCO DO BRASIL TO COMBINE INSURANCE OPS WITH MAPFRE'S LOCAL ARM Brazilian lender Banco do Brasil (SAO:BBAS3) said it has struck a deal to combine its insurance business in the country with the local unit of Spanish insurer Mapfre (MCE:MAP). Status: Agreed - SWISS ABB AGREES TO TAKE US SOFTWARE CO VENTYX FOR OVER USD1BN Swiss automation technology group ABB (VTX:ABBN) said it had agreed to buy US software and services provider Ventyx for over USD1bn (EUR770m) from US Vista Equity Partners and thus to become a top provider of software for managing energy networks. Status: Agreed - US KEYON AGREES TO BUY HOME WIRELESS BROADBAND PROVIDER DYNAMIC BROADBAND, TO GROW Omaha-based rural wireless broadband provider KeyOn Communications (OTC:KEYO) said it had agreed to buy Dynamic Broadband, providing wireless Internet services in Iowa and Minnesota, in a stock deal and assumption of debt, to boost earnings. Status: Agreed - KUFNER GRUPA ACQUIRES CROATIAN BEER MAKER DARUVARSKA PIVOVARA Croatian insulation materials and adhesives maker Kufner Grupa has won a public tender to acquire brewery Daruvarska Pivovara for HRK14.8m (USD2.6m/EUR2m). Status: Agreed - THE MONEY SHOP BUYS UK PAWN BROKING CO SUTTONS & ROBERTSONS The Money Shop, an instant cash provider for the UK, said it has taken over local pawn broking specialist Suttons & Robertsons (S&R) without disclosing the purchase price. Status: Closed - UK PEARSON SELLS US INTERACTIVE DATA IN USD3.4BN LBO UK media group Pearson (LON:PSON) has agreed to sell its 61% interest in US financial market data provider Interactive Data (NYSE:IDC) to private equity firms Silver Lake and Warburg Pincus for USD3.4bn (EUR2.6bn), Interactive Data said. Status: Agreed - SENER TAKES FULL CONTROL OVER MEXICAN FIRM III Spain-based engineering firm Sener announced it has fully acquired Mexican sector player III, without revealing the financial details of the buyout. Status: Closed - MDC PARTNERS TAKES MAJORITY IN US PR CO ALLISON & PARTNERS Canadian marketing specialist MDC Partners (TSE:MDZ.A) said it has taken a majority stake in San Francisco-based PR company Allison & Partners for an undisclosed sum. Status: Closed - US FLEXERA SOFTWARE COMPLETES TAKEOVER OF LOCAL MANAGESOFT US Flexera Software, a developer of solutions for application usage management, said it has wrapped up the takeover of home sector company ManageSoft for an undisclosed sum. Status: Closed - FARMAHOLD TO BID FOR BULGARIAN DRUG DISTRIBUTOR HIGIA Bulgarian pharmaceuticals holding Farmahold is planning to buy out local drug distributor Higia, the country's Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC) said. Status: Bidding - BRITISH FOREX BROKER ODL AGREES ON TAKEOVER BY US FXCM UK-based foreign exchange and commodities brokerage ODL Group said it has sealed a deal to be bought by US competitor FXCM Holdings for an undisclosed sum. Status: Agreed - US ANAQUA MERGES WITH FRENCH SGA² US intellectual asset management (IAM) software and services provider Anaqua, said it had tied up with French SGA², a provider of IP maintenance services, to improve services level, reduce risk and deliver better value. Status: Closed - GERMAN LEONI TAKES OVER AEES POWER SYSTEMS MANUFACTURING UNIT IN ROMANIA German cables manufacturer Leoni (ETR:LEO) said it had bought the wiring systems manufacturing plant in Beius, western Romania, of US harness wiring sets specialist AEES Power Systems, to boost its share in the commercial vehicles harness market. Status: Closed - UK GREEN COMPLIANCE TAKES OVER FIRE PROTECTION COS MFP, PFS UK Green Compliance (LON:GCO.GB) said it has closed the purchase of home fire protection equipment and services provider Mayfair Fire Protection (MFP) and fire-extinguisher recycling specialist Professional Fire Solutions (PFS). Status: Closed - GENERALI BUYS INTEREST IN ITALIAN MUTUIONLINE Italy's insurance major Generali (BIT:G) has acquired a 2.017% stake in retail credit products provider Gruppo MutuiOnline (BIT:MOL), a report of market regulator Consob showed. Status: Closed - MONDI SAYS TO SELL EUROPAPIER TO AUSTRIAN HEINZEL FOR EUR60M UK-based global paper and packaging specialist Mondi (LON:MNDI) said it had agreed to sell Europapier, a paper merchant business in central Europe and Russia to Austrian paper trader Heinzel Group for EUR60m (USD78m), payable on completion, to reduce debt. Status: Agreed - MOLSON COORS BUYS STAKE IN JV WITH CHINESE SI'HAI BEER US brewer Molson Coors Brewing Co (NYSE:TAP) said it has agreed to acquire a 51% stake in a new joint venture with Chinese sector player Hebei Si'hai Beer Company for USD40m (EUR31m). Status: Agreed - UK BILLINGTON AGREES TO SELL DOSCO TO GERMAN SMT SCHARF FOR GBP1.8M UK Billington Holdings (LON:BILN), manufacturing structural steel, said it had agreed to dispose of its Dosco Holdings unit to German SMT Scharf (ETR:S4A), a builder of rail-bound railway systems for mines, for GBP1.8m (USD2.7m/EUR2.1m) to be paid on closing. Status: Agreed - PIRELLI BOARD CLEARS SPIN-OFF OF PROPERTY UNIT The board of Italian holding company Pirelli & C (BIT:PC) gave the thumbs-up to the planned spin-off of its property arm Pirelli RE (BIT:PRS) in a bid to focus on its tyre business. Status: Agreed - POLISH TREASURY INVITES INVESTORS TO SUBMIT BIDS FOR ENERGA Poland has put an 83% stake in state-owned utility Energa up for sale in a move to raise PLN25bn (USD8m/EUR6m) from privatisation deals and narrow its budget deficit, the treasury said in a statement. Status: Auction - FRENCH JOUVE BUYS MAJORITY IN BOOK DIGITISING FIRM SAFIG French digital and print content management and publishing services provider Jouve has bought a 75% stake in local book digitising firm Safig. Status: Closed - HILTI TAKES OVER US UNIRAC TO EXPAND IN THE N AMERICAN SOLAR MARKET Liechtenstein-based specialised tools manufacturer Hilti Group said it had acquired US photovoltaic (PV) solar mounting technology specialist Unirac from US private equity fund Global Environment Fund, or GEF, for an undisclosed sum, to grow in the North American solar market. Status: Closed - US PEMCO BUYS EXELTECH CANADA TO BOOST MRO SERVICES US Pemco World Air Services said it had bought ExelTech Canada, a provider of aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services to the regional airline industry, to expand its service array. Status: Closed - FRENCH FINADORM BUYS MOBILE HOMES MAKER LOUISIANE French diversified holding company Finadorm has bought local mobile homes builder Louisiane from French private equity firm Perfectis Private Equity. Status: Closed - US INFOBLOX TAKES OVER HOME SOFTWARE MAKER NETCORDIA US Infoblox, providing products for managing core network services, said it had bought home Netcordia, a provider of Network Change and Configuration Management (NCCM) solutions, for an undisclosed amount, to expand into change and configuration management. Status: Closed - NYSE EURONEXT SELLS MINORITY INTEREST IN INDIA'S NSE Transatlantic stock exchange operator NYSE Euronext has sold its 5% stake in the National Stock Exchange of India to Singapore-based, state-owned investment company Temasek Holdings for USD175m (EUR135.1m). Status: Closed - KGHM, ABACUS MINING TEAM UP IN CANADIAN JV Canadian copper and gold miner Abacus Mining & Exploration Corp (CVE:AME) said it has signed a joint-venture deal with Polish copper producer KGHM (WAR:KGHM) to develop its copper-gold mine in British Columbia. Status: Agreed - BELARUS COULD SELL MINORITY STAKE IN BELARUSKALI IF GOOD PRICE IS OFFERED Belarus might offload a minority shareholding in home potash producer Belaruskali to a foreign buyer, if it could get a good price, president Alexander Lukashenko said. Status: Auction - EVERCORE WEALTH MANAGEMENT WRAPS UP BUY OF MORSE, WILLIAMS AND CO, THE WALL STREET FUND US investment advisor Evercore Wealth Management said it had closed the acquisition of home investor Morse, Williams and Company and of mutual fund The Wall Street Fund (NASDAQ:WALLX), in two related transactions. Status: Closed - DUTCH DPA FLEX ISSUES SHARES TO FUND ACQUISITION Dutch staffing firm DPA Flex Group (AMS:DPAFX) said it would issue five million shares for EUR9m (USD11.7m) to fund the buyout of its unit DPA Supply Chain People. Status: Agreed - DUTCH VANDRIE GROUP GETS REGULATORY NOD TO BUY ALPURO Dutch veal and lamb producer VanDrie Group said local stock market regulator NMa has approved the planned acquisition of home peer Alpuro Group. Status: Agreed - SPANISH DAMM UPS EBRO PULEVA STAKE TO 8.606% Spanish brewer Damm (BCN:DAM) has raised its interest in food company Ebro Puleva (MCE:EVA) to 8.606% from 8.44% by buying shares for EUR3.28m (USD4.2m), data of market regulator CNMV showed. Status: Closed - EDF ENERGIES NOUVELLES ANNOUNCES PHOTON TECHNOLOGIES BUYOUT French renewable energy company EDF Energies Nouvelles (EPA:EEN) said it has acquired the remaining 49% it did not already own in local photovoltaic installation services provider Photon Technologies. Status: Closed - BRITISH MITCHELLS & BUTLERS SAID TO BE CONSIDERING PARTIAL SALE OF PUBS British pubs operator Mitchells & Butlers (LON:MAB) has reportedly picked advisors to help it offload some of its pubs in an effort to raise GBP500m (USD762m/EUR578m) and focus on its food brands. Status: Speculation - KKR FINANCIAL PLANS SHARE SALE TO FUND ACQUISITIONS US speciality finance company KKR Financial Holdings (NYSE:KFN) unveiled the sale of 25m ordinary shares to secure funds for potential acquisitions. Status: Auction - INVITEL STARTS EXCLUSIVE TALKS WITH TURK TELEKOM OVER INTL BUSINESS Hungary-based telecom operator Invitel Holdings (OTCBB:INVHY) said it has agreed to start exclusive talks with Turk Telekom (IST:TTKOM.E) over the latter's offer to acquire its international business. Status: Exclusivity - WARBURG PINCUS, SILVER LAKE PARTNERS SAID CLOSE TO USD3.1BN TAKEOVER OF US IDC Investors Warburg Pincus and Silver Lake Partners are said to be near the acquisition of US financial market data provider Interactive Data Corp (NYSE:IDC) for some USD3.1bn (EUR2.3bn). Status: Bidding - GREEN MOUNTAIN AGAIN EXTENDS BID FOR DIEDRICH COFFEE US coffee maker Green Mountain (NASDAQ:GMCR) has again extended its USD35 (EUR26) per share cash tender offer for peer Diedrich Coffee (NASDAQ:DDRX) until 10 May, the company said in a press release adding that all the other terms and conditions of the offer remained unchanged. Status: Bidding - OAK HILL CAPITAL ON TRACK TO BUY US DAVE & BUSTER'S Oak Hill Capital Partners is said to be before a takeover of US restaurant chain Dave & Buster's Inc for some USD570m (EUR431m). Status: Exclusivity - EXECUTIVES MULL OVER SELLING WASHINGTON TIMES Washington Times' executives are considering a potential sale of the daily broadsheet newspaper. Status: Speculation; Talks - HERMES SHARES ON THE RISE ON SALE TALK AFTER DUMAS DEATH French luxury products maker Hermes (EPA:RMS) saw its shares up after traders speculated that the company's majority shareholder could unload its stake after the death of former CEO Jean-Louis Dumas. Status: Speculation - GLENCORE INTL REPORTEDLY EYEING DEAL WITH UK XSTRATA Swiss commodity trader Glencore International is said to be considering a tie-up agreement with UK mining company Xstrata (LON:XTA), which may crate a company valued at GBP55bn (USD84bn/EUR63bn). Status: Talks; Speculation - NORWAY'S RISH, GCR STOP MERGER TALKS Norway's shipping company GC Rieber Shipping (OSL:RISH) announced it had ceased merger talks with GC Rieber, or GCR, after being notified by GCR that it wanted to put the discussions on hold. GCR said it will look again into the deal after it cleared the uncertainty regarding its subsidiary GC Rieber Oils, created by the recent public attention. Status: Delayed - UK FREIGHTLINER, FRENCH SNCF, EUROTUNNEL SAID TO BE BIDDING FOR FIRSTGROUP'S RAIL FREIGHT UNIT UK rail freight operator Freightliner, French national railway SNCF, and Eurotunnel (EPA:GET), operating the Channel Tunnel, are said to be potential buyers for GB Railfreight, the rail freight unit of UK passenger transport company FirstGroup (LON:FGP). Status: Bidding - BILLIONAIRE ICAHN EXTENDS TENDER OFFER FOR LIONS GATE The Icahn Group, owned by activist shareholder Carl Icahn, announced a ten-day extension of its tender offer for Canada-based movie production studio Lions Gate Entertainment (NYSE:LGF). Status: Bidding ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) (c) 2010 M2 COMMUNICATIONS |