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M&A Navigator: Deal Pipeline -- 21 Oct 2009(M&A Navigator Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) The following is a list of deals covered in detail by M&A Navigator this week: - VERTICAL HEALTH BUYS TWO DIABETIC WEBSITES US health information provider Vertical Health said it has acquired diabetic information portals Diabetic-Lifestyle.com and Diabetic-Recipes.com for an undisclosed sum. Status: Closed - SICLAE BUYS CHAMTOR, 51% OF ARD TO ENTER BIOFUELS MARKET France's agriculture holding Siclae has taken over local starch glucose maker Chamtor and bought 51% in research centre Agro Recherches et Developpements (ARD) in a bid to enter the green chemistry and biofuels sector. Status: Closed - E-REWARDS OFFERS TO BUY RESEARCH NOW FOR GBP0.430 P/S British fieldwork and panel specialist Research Now (LON:RNOW) said it has received a bid from US online research firm e-Rewards at a price of no less than GBP0.430 (USD0.71/EUR0.47) per share in cash. Status: Bidding - BPER OKAYS INCORPORATION OF EUROBANCA Italy's Banca Popolare dell'Emilia Romagna (BIT:EMII), or BPER, and its Eurobanca del Trentino (Eurobanca) arm gave the green light to the Eurobanca's incorporation into BPER. Status: Agreed - QATAR-BASED FIRM IN JV DEAL WITH GERMAN X-TERN INTL Qatar-based diversified group Al Jaidah Brothers said it has inked a joint venture deal with German environmental company X-Tern International GmbH. Status: Agreed - ICAP-LED CONSORTIUM TO ABANDON LCH.CLEARNET ACQUISITION A consortium led by Britain's interdealer broker ICAP (LON:IAP) is considering to drop its bid to acquire clearing house LCH.Clearnet. Status: Terminated, Speculation - MEADWESTVACO DIVESTS PAXONIX UNIT TO PERSISTENT SYSTEMS US packaging company MeadWestvaco Corp (NYSE:MWV) said it has divested its Paxonix unit, which provides web-based branding and packaging process solutions, to software developer Persistent Systems. Status: Agreed - TELE2 EYEING ACQUISITIONS IN CIS, EASTERN EUROPE Swedish telecomms group Tele2 (STO:TEL2 B) is exploring acquisition options in the former Soviet Union, Russia and eastern Europe, the company's chief executive Harri Koponen said. Status: Bidding - TURKEY GETS 29 BIDS FOR THREE POWER GRIDS PRIVATISATION The Turkish privatisation agency OIB said it has received a total 29 bids for the privatisation of three power grids. Status: Auction - GAS NATURAL TO DIVEST ASSETS FOR EUR1.5BN BY END-2009 Spain utility Gas Natural (MCE:GAS) is planning to sell assets for EUR1.5bn (USD2.24bn) by the end of the year, CEO Rafael Villaseca said. Status: Auction - JP MORGAN FUND, INTERROS INK JV DEAL Russian direct investment fund Interros Holding and peer One Equity Partners (OEP), a unit of US investment bank JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM), have agreed to set up an investment joint venture, Interros said. Status: Agreed - SCHLUMBERGER GETS REGULATOR'S NOD TO BUY OUT SMALLER RIVAL HOCHRIEGL Austria's antitrust regulator has cleared the planned buyout of local wine and sparkling wine maker Hochriegl Wein- und Sektkellerei GmbH by bigger rival Schlumberger (WBAG:SLBS). Status: Agreed - MORGAN STANLEY MAY HAND OVER CRESCENT REAL ESTATE TO BARCLAYS CAPITAL US investment bank Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) could offload its property management arm Crescent Real Estate Equities Co to Barclays Capital in exchange for the USD2bn (EUR1.3bn) loan it got from the UK bank which is due on 2 November. Status: Speculation, Talks - BANCO POPOLARE NEGOTIATES EFIBANCA SALE WITH BARCLAYS Italian Banco Popolare (BIT:BP) is in exclusive talks with UK's banking giant Barclays (LON:BARC) over the sale of its merchant unit Efibanca, Banco Popolare's top executive Pier Francesco Saviotti said. Status: Exclusivity - F2I TO BUY 49% IN TELECOM ITALIA'S SPARKLE Lawyers for Telecom Italia (BIT:TIT) and infrastructure fund F2i will meet today to sign a letter of intent (LoI) for F2i to acquire 49% in Sparkle, a unit of the telecomms major. Status: Speculation, Exclusivity - INDIAN INFOSYS EYES ACQUISITIONS IN FRANCE, GERMANY Indian IT solutions provider Infosys Technologies (BOM:500209) is seeking alternatives for acquisitions in France and Germany to boost presence in Europe, a senior executive said. Status: Talks - AHORRO CORPORACION BUYS STAKE IN CASTINGS PRODUCER Spanish financial services group Ahorro Corporacion has acquired a 22.5% interest in local large castings producer Endaki Tecnocast, Ahorro said without revealing the financial details of the deal. Status: Closed - GREENVISION TO SHED 25% OF ECO-CONSTRUCTION, BIOMASS OPS Italian environmental group Greenvision Ambiente (BIT:VIS) is planning to sell 25% of its green construction and biomass operations to the company's founder and shareholder, Giacomo Gallusi, for EUR6m (USD9m). Status: Agreed - PROPRIETATEA SELLS RESIDUAL 15% STAKE IN CEZ SERVICII FOR EUR1.6M Romania's state-owned property restitution fund Proprietatea said it has sold its 15% stake in CEZ Servicii to its parent company, Czech utility CEZ (PRG:BAACEZ), for EUR1.6m (USD2.4m). Status: Closed - EQUIFAX TO TAKE OVER IXI CORP FOR USD124M US business solutions specialist Equifax (NYSE:EFX) said it has agreed to buy consumer wealth and asset data provider IXI Corporation for USD124m (EUR83m) in cash. Status: Agreed - SPAIN'S CAJA ESPANA, DUERO EXPECT CAJA BURGOS TO EXIT MERGER PROJECT Spanish savings banks Caja Espana and Caja Duero suspect that peer Caja Burgos will leave their planned alliance which it entered in the last minute. Status: Talks - CEO SAYS SALE OF INTESA SANPAOLO'S DEPOSITARY UNIT LIKELY IN 2010 Corrado Passera, chief executive of Italian banking group Intesa Sanpaolo (BIT:ISP), said the bank's negotiations on the sale of its depositary bank may drag on beyond 2009. Status: Talks - UK GREENSTAR BUYS VEOLIA'S IRISH WASTE MANAGEMENT OPS UK waste management firm Greenstar is acquiring local Veolia Environmental Services's commercial waste and recycling business in Ireland. Status: Agreed, Speculation - RUSSIAN SISTEMA MAY MERGE INDIAN OPS WITH MTS Russian conglomerate AFK Sistema (MCX:AFKC) could combine its Indian telecomms business Sistema Shyam TeleServices with Russia's major cell phone operator MTS (RTD:MTSS), its main asset. Status: Auction - VW TO BUY LARGER PORSCHE STAKE THAN INITIALLY PLANNED German carmaker Volkswagen AG (ETR:VOW) said it will acquire 49.9% of home sports-car maker Porsche AG in the first stage of its merger with Porsche Automobil Holding SE (ETR:PAH3), as compared to the initial 42% stipulated in the agreement announced in August. Status: Agreed - SPAIN'S COSMEN FAMILY SUPPORTS STAGECOACH'S BID FOR NATIONAL EXPRESS Spain's Cosmen family, controlling 19% of UK passenger transport firm National Express (LON:NEX), decided to support a takeover bid by home rival Stagecoach (LON:SCG). Status: Bidding - US BANCORP INTERESTED IN FBOP CORP US Bancorp (NYSE:USB) is looking to buy US FBOP Corp, owner of eight banks which may be offered for sale by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC). Status: Bidding, Speculation - EDP TO GAIN EUR24.5M FROM SONAECOM STAKE SALE Portuguese utility EDP (ELI:EDP) will gain EUR24.5m (USD36.6m) from the sale of its 7.4% stake in telecomms operator Sonaecom (ELI:SNC). Status: Closed - EX-CEO SAYS AER LINGUS SHOULD LOOK AT MERGER WITH PEERS TO SECURE FUTURE Willie Walsh, the former chief executive of Irish airline Aer Lingus (ISE:AERL) advised the airline to look at a merger with one or more peers, as its future as a stand-alone company may not be secure. Status: Auction - FORD, GEELY TALKS ON VOLVO DEAL MAY STALL OVER INTELECTUAL RIGHTS DISPUTE Talks between US carmaker Ford Motor Co (NYSE:F) and Chinese Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd (HKG:0175) on the sale of Volvo to the Chinese company may be obstructed by disagreements over property rights. Status: Talks, Speculation - BAA AGREES TO SELL GATWICK TO GIP FOR GBP1.5BN UK airports operator BAA has reached a deal late on Tuesday to sell Gatwick airport to US infrastructure fund Global Infrastructure Partners for GBP1.5bn (USD2.5bn/EUR1.7bn). Status: Agreed, Speculation - KRAFT SEEN TO SWEETEN BID AS CADBURY UPS 2009 SALES FORECAST US food giant Kraft (NYSE:KFT) will have to raise its takeover bid for UK confectionery firm Cadbury (LON:CBRY), as the latter upgraded its 2009 sales forecast to 5% from 4% after its sales rose by 7% in the third quarter. Status: Bidding - SPAIN FERROVIAL, CINTRA MERGED CO TO BEGIN STOCK TRADING ON 7 DEC Rafael del Pino, chairman of Spanish construction and infrastructure group Ferrovial (MCE:FER), said the entity to result from the company's merger with toll road operator Cintra (MCE:CCIT) will start bourse trading on 7 December 2009. Status: Agreed - UKRAINE'S VOLYN COUNCIL TO SELL CONTROL OF LUTSK AVIATION ENTERPRISE ON 24 NOV Ukraine's Volyn regional council will sell 2.427 million shares, or 50% plus one share, in the Lutsk Aviation Enterprise for UAH0.25 (USD0.03/EUR0.02) apiece. Status: Auction - EIB CLEARS EUR400M LOAN TO HELP SAAB SALE The European Investment Bank said it has approved a EUR400m (USD599m) loan to Swedish Saab to shoulder the sale of the troubled carmaker by its US parent General Motors (GM). Status: Agreed - US BIOMET ACQUIRES SECTOR FIRM CARTILIX US-based medical device company Biomet said it has taken over local cartilage repair technology developer Cartilix. Status: Closed - US ARCHER DANIELS BUYS CZECH VIACHEM'S OILSEED PROCESSING UNIT US oilseed and corn processing company Archer Daniels Midland (NYSE:ADM) said it has acquired the oilseed processing assets of Czech ViaChem Group for an undisclosed amount. Status: Closed - ITALY MARKET WATCHDOG OKAYS MODENA CAPITALE'S SWEETENED BID FOR M&C Italy's stock market regulator Consob has allowed local firm Modena Capitale to raise the price of its buyout offer for turnaround investment fund Management & Capitali (BIT:MEC), or M&C. Status: Bidding - US CENTURY CASINOS KEEN TO FULLY ACQUIRE POLISH PEER US casino operator Century Casinos (NASDAQ:CNTY) intends to fully acquire Casinos Poland Ltd through buying the remaining 66% in the company for some EUR14m (USD20.9m). Status: Bidding, Speculation - UKRAINE ELPIS UPS STAKE IN INSURER YEVROPEISKY SVIT TO 19.97% Ukrainian Donetsk-based firm Elpis has raised its stake in local insurance company Yevropeisky Svit to 19.97% from 10%, the insurer said. Status: Closed - SWEDISH REGULATOR GREENLIGHTS FINNISH SAMPO TO RAISE STAKE IN NORDEA BANK Finnish insurer Sampo Oyj (HEL:SAMAS) has got the green light from the Swedish financial supervisory authority (Finansinspektionen) to increase its holding in Sweden-based Nordea Bank (STO:NDA) to above 20%. Status: Agreed - WAB CUTS HOLDING IN AUSTRIAN CWT TO UNDER 5% Private foundation WAB has lowered its interest in Austrian Christ Water Technology (WBAG:CWT) to below 5% from its previous holding of above 25%, CWT said. Status: Closed - SPANISH PRISA GETS 12% INTEREST IN BROADCASTER V-ME MEDIA Spanish media group Prisa (MCE:PRS) has bought a 12% stake in local language TV broadcaster V-me Media, the group said. Status: Closed - US COSTAR GROUP BUYS RESOLVE TECHNOLOGY CoStar Group (NASDAQ:CSGP), a US provider of information services to the commercial real-estate industry, said it has taken over local firm Resolve Technology for an undisclosed sum. Status: Closed - KPN EXTENDS TENDER OFFER FOR IBASIS UNTIL 20 NOV Dutch telecomms and ICT group KPN (AMS:KPN) has extended its tender offer for US calling services provider iBasis (NASDAQ:IBAS) until 20 November from 23 October. Status: Bidding - KIRK KERKORIAN SEEKING OPTIONS TO CUT STAKE IN MGM MIRAGE US Tracinda Corp, the investment vehicle of billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, said it is studying options to reduce its shareholding in struggling casino and hotel operator MGM Mirage (NYSE:MGM). Status: Auction - SAL. OPPENHEIM, MACQUARIE NEARING DEAL Luxembourg-based private bank Sal. Oppenheim is close to striking a deal to divest from its investment banking unit to Australian sector player Macquarie (ASX:MQG). Status: Talks, Speculation - SOUND OIL CONFIRMS TALKS ON POTENTIAL ACQUISITION UK's oil and gas explorer Sound Oil (LON:SOU) has confirmed it is in talks over the potential acquisition of a private company with oil assets offshore West Africa. Status: Talks - QATAR HOLDING TO SHED 379M BARCLAYS SHARES Qatar's sovereign wealth fund Qatar Holding said it would sell 379.2 million shares in UK bank Barclays (LON:BARC) through an accelerated bookbuild at an exercise price of 197.775 pence apiece. Status: Auction - TOTAL TO SELL 50% IN ZAMBIA REFINERY BY END-2009 French oil giant Total (EPA:FP) is planning to offload its 50% stake in Zambia's oil refinery Indeni Petroleum Refinery to the Zambian government by the end of the year. Status: Talks - INTESA SANPAOLO RESUMES TALKS WITH STATE STREET Italy's banking giant Intesa Sanpaolo (BIT:ISP) has resumed negotiations with US financial group State Street Corp (NYSE:STT) over the sale of its depositary banking service. Status: Speculation - CCM CONFIRMS SUITORS INTEREST IN TIE-UP Spanish savings bank Caja Castilla La Mancha (CCM) has confirmed that it has attracted several possible bidders, including local savings banks, interested in a potential tie-up. Status: Auction - TRADERS SAY BHP BILLITON KEEN TO BUY K+S Traders have speculated that Anglo-Australian mineral processing group BHP Billiton (LON:BLT; ASX:BHP) is interested in buying German chemicals maker K+S (ETR:SDF). Status: Speculation - FERROVIAL EXPECTS TO FINALISE GATWICK DIVESTMENT IN FEW WEEKS Spanish transport infrastructure group Ferrovial (MCE:FER) is negotiating with more than one suitor for London's Gatwick airport and expects to close the deal within few weeks. Status: Auction, Talks - US PAPA BELLO IN LOI TO ACQUIRE PASTORE'S OF ROSEDALE US restaurant chain Papa Bello Enterprises (PINK:PAPA) has inked a letter of intent (LoI) for the acquisition of local peer Pastore's of Rosedale. Status: Exclusivity - US AMERAMEX INTL IN LOI TO TIE UP WITH CROMER EQUIPMENT Ameramex International, a US provider of heavy equipment for infrastructure construction, has inked a letter of intent (LoI) to merge with local sector firm Cromer Equipment. Status: Exclusivity - US KIMBERLY-CLARK TO LAUNCH TENDER OFFER FOR I-FLOW'S BUYOUT US health and hygiene group Kimberly-Clark (NYSE:KMB) will initiate today a cash tender bid for the acquisition of all outstanding shares in local pain relief products manufacturer I-Flow (NASDAQ:IFLO). Status: Bidding - US PLAYNETWORK CONSIDERS BUYING SECTOR PLAYER CHANNEL M US integrated media services provider PlayNetwork has unveiled its plans to take over local in-store TV network developer Channel M. Status: Bidding - ITALIAN IKF SEEKS TIE-UP WITH AMBROMOBILIARE, NATALI&PARTNERS Italian investment company IKF (BIT:IKF) is considering the acquisition of local bank Ambromobiliare and consultancy Natali&Partners Srl in a drive to unite the three businesses into a single entity. Status: Bidding - AVENUE CAPITAL SAID TO BE IN FINAL TALKS FOR CHINESE LANDWIND MEDICAL Avenue Capital is nearing a deal to acquire Landwind Medical for over USD100m (EUR66.8m), after private equity firms including Bain Capital have quit bidding for the Chinese medical equipment company. Status: Speculation, Talks - TITAN CEMENT MULLS OVER SELLING STAKE IN EGYPTIAN ARM Greek cement producer Titan Cement (ATH:TITK) is studying an option to sell a minority stake in its Egyptian unit to an investor, seeking to add value to the business. Status: Auction - GDF SUEZ SAYS CHINESE SOVEREIGN FUND WILLING TO BUY STAKE French utility GDF Suez (EPA:GSZ) has been approached by a Chinese sovereign wealth fund willing to buy a minority stake in the company. Status: Bidding - MTS SAYS NO DECISION ON COMSTAR BUYOUT Russian mobile operator Mobile TeleSystems (RTD:MTSS), or MTS, said submitting a buyout bid for fixed-line operator Comstar UTS (LON:CMST) is still uncertain and depends on the company's financial planning for 2010. Status: Bidding - VIVENDI'S BOARD CLEARS BID FOR BRAZILIAN GVT The board of directors of French media and telecomms group Vivendi (EPA:VIV) gave a nod to the company to continue with the proposed acquisition of Brazilian peer GVT (SAO:GVTT3). Status: Bidding - KENTOR TO BUY AURUM MINING'S INTEREST IN ANDASH PROJECT British miner investor Aurum Mining (LON:AUR) said that Australian gold explorer Kentor Gold (ASX:KGL) was planning to exercise its option to buy Aurum's stake in the Andash project for USD15m (EUR10m). Status: Exclusivity - EAGLE ROCK ENERGY GETS APPROACH FOR MINERALS BUSINESS US midstream company Eagle Rock Energy Partners has received a non-binding offer from Black Stone Minerals to acquire its minerals business for USD157.5m (EUR105.5m). Status: Bidding - SOUTH KOREAN ARIGENE STARTS TENDER OFFER FOR US TRIMERIS South Korean entertainment group Arigene Co (KDQ:067850) has initiated a cash tender offer to buy out Delaware-based biopharmaceuticals company Trimeris (NASDAQ:TRMS) through its wholly owned RTM Acquisition Company. Status: Bidding - NATIONAL EXPRESS GETS PRELIMINARY ALL-STOCK OFFER FROM STAGECOACH British transport company National Express (LON:NEX) confirmed it had received a preliminary all-stock takeover bid from its rival Stagecoach (LON:SGC) following the withdrawal of another bidder last week. Status: Bidding - GE IN TALKS TO BUY VIVENDI'S STAKE IN NBC UNIVERSAL US manufacturing giant General Electric (NYSE:GE) and French media and telecomms group Vivendi (EPA:VIV) are currently in talks over Vivendi's minority holding in entertainment company NBC Universal. Status: Talks, Speculation - STAGECOACH APPROACHES NATIONAL EXPRESS WITH MERGER OFFER UK international passenger transport company Stagecoach (LON:SCG) confirmed it has contacted home sector player National Express (LON:NEX) about the terms of a potential merger. Status: Talks - CME NEGOTIATES CBOE TAKEOVER US derivatives exchange CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) is negotiating the acquisition of Chicago Board Options Exchange in a deal valuing the US options market at up to USD5bn (EUR3.4bn). Status: Talks, Speculation - SPANISH REGULATOR TO DISPOSE OF AGRUPACIO MUTUA'S REAL ESTATE OPS, BANK STAKE Spain's security and insurance regulator Direccion General de Seguros (DGS), which took over troubled insurer Agrupacio Mutua on Friday, will liquidate its real estate arm Amci Habitat and dispose of its 25.13% in local bank Bankpyme. Status: Auction - SIEMENS, NOKIA NOT LIKELY TO GET FINANCIAL INTEREST FOR NSN VENTURE German engineering group Siemens (ETR:SIE) and Finnish mobile devices manufacturer Nokia (HEL:NOK1V) are not likely to find financial investors interested to buy their troubled telecomms gear making venture NSN, which they are looking to sell. Status: Auction, Speculation - P&G CALLS ON STOCKHOLDERS TO REJECT TRC CAPITAL'S BID US consumer products firm Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) has advised its shareholders not to tender their shares to an unsolicited offer by Canadian M&A advisors TRC Capital Corp. Status: Bidding - UKRAINIAN TYCOON CLOSE TO ACQUISITION OF INSURER ROSSIYA Ukrainian billionaire Viktor Pinchuk is nearing a deal to acquire Russian insurer Rossiya. Status: Bidding, Speculation - GERMAN W & W KEEN TO BUY COMMERZBANK'S BUILDING SOCIETY UNIT German insurer Wuestenrot & Wuerttembergische (ETR:WUW), or W & W, has launched negotiations with local Commerzbank (ETR:CBK) to take over its building society arm Allianz Dresdner Bauspar (ADB). Status: Talks, Speculation - BRAZILIAN GVT TO MAKE DECISION ON TELEFONICA TAKEOVER BID ON 3 NOV The board of directors of Brazilian telecomms operator GVT (SAO:GVTT3) will probably make a decision on the takeover bid of Spanish peer Telefonica (MCE:TEF) at its extraordinary meeting on 3 November. Status: Bidding - GERMAN SIEMENS PLANS TO SELL BUILDING COMPONENTS UNIT German engineering group Siemens (ETR:SIE) has intentions to sell the building components unit of its industry solutions division, to focus on its strengths and competencies. Status: Auction ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) (c) 2009 M2 COMMUNICATIONS |