[November 05, 2009] M&A Navigator: Deal Pipeline -- 3 Nov 2009 Tweet (M&A Navigator Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) The following is a list of deals covered in detail by M&A Navigator this week: - PIONEER INVESTMENTS CUTS HOLDING IN AUSTRIAN WEBFREETV.COM TO 4.41% Pioneer Investments Austria GmbH has lowered its stake in Austrian Webfreetv.com Multimedia Dienstelistungs (WBAG:WFTV) to 4.41% from 7.68%, the Internet video company said. Status: Closed - ATEA TO ACQUIRE A COMMUNICATIONS IN FINLAND Norwegian IT group Atea ASA (OSL:ATEA) said that its Finnish subsidiary Atea Oy has agreed to buy local sector firm A Communications in a drive to strengthen its position on the videoconferencing and IP telephony market. Status: Agreed - VATTENFALL GIVES INFORMAL CONSENT TO GERMAN GRID SALE Swedish utility Vattenfall has agreed in principle to sell its German power grid if a buyer accepts to pay over EUR500m (USD733m) and keep the current staff. Exclusivity - US CAPITAL GROUP UPS STAKE IN AUSTRIAN ANDRITZ TO 5.32% US investment advisory and management service provider Capital Group International has increased its stake in Austrian Andritz (WBAG:ANDR) to 5.32%, the technology group said. Status: Closed - US CARLYLE TO BUY 40% OF MEDICAL PARK HOSPITAL GROUP IN TURKEY US private equity firm Carlyle Group has entered a preliminary agreement to acquire a stake of 40% in Turkish Medical Park Hospital Group, in line with its efforts to enhance its presence in the country. Status: Agreed - DANISH FIRSTFARMS TO UNLOAD BUSINESS IN WESTERN ROMANIA Danish agricultural investor FirstFarms (CPH:FFARMS) said it had reached an agreement to divest from its operational centre close to Timisoara, western Romania, in a move to streamline its organisation in the eastern part of the country. Status: Agreed - ARSENAL'S LARGEST SHAREHOLDER MOVES CLOSER TO TAKEOVER THRESHOLD US businessman Stan Kroenke was reported to have bought 427 shares in UK football club Arsenal nearing the 29.9% threshold which would require him to make a takeover bid. Status: Closed - INVESCO REAL ESTATE TAKES OVER RADISSON BLU HOTEL FOR EUR155M Global investment manager Invesco Real Estate, a unit of Invesco Ltd (NYSE:IVZ), said its hotel fund has acquired the four-star Radisson Blu Hotel in Hamburg, Germany, for EUR155m (USD227.22m) to expand portfolio. Status: Closed - EDF SAYS NEARING COMPLETION OF CONSTELLATION DEAL French utility EDF (EPA:EDF) said it is close to finalising the USD4.5bn (EUR3.04bn) deal to buy nearly half of the nuclear operations of US peer Constellation Energy (NYSE:CEG). Status: Agreed - SWISS CREALOGIX BUYS BVI CONSULT Swiss software company Crealogix Holding AG (SWF:CLXN) said it has bought e-banking and self-service devices firm BVI Consult AG in Switzerland. Status: Closed - DUTCH ICT TO ACQUIRE STAKE IN GERMAN HARMAN BECKER AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS Dutch software company ICT Automatisering NV (AMS:ICT) said it had reached an agreement to take over a stake in German Harman Becker Automotive Systems, which specialises in infotainment systems for the automotive industry. Status: Agreed - ADVANCED CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES BUYS ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION CO US restructuring strategies provider Advanced Clean Technologies (OTC:ACTH) said it has finalised the acquisition of American Petroleum Solutions, which holds an exclusive oil sludge removal technology license. Status: Closed - FRENCH TRAVELHORIZON RAISES EUR 20M TO BUY DUTCH SPORTURA Shareholders of French travel agency TravelHorizon have put together EUR20m (USD29.32m) in financing to fund the purchase of Dutch sector player Sportura. Status: Speculation - INDONESIAN REGULATOR ORDERS CARREFOUR TO SELL STAKE IN LOCAL RETAILER French retailer Carrefour (EPA:CA) was ordered by Indonesian competition regulator KPPU to dispose of its 75% stake in local player Alfa Retailindo (JAK:ALFA) to ease competition worries. Status: Auction - COMCAM TO BUY PINNACLE INTEGRATED SYSTEMS IN CASH-AND-STOCK DEAL US ComCam International (PINK:CMCJ), a provider of remote network video devices, has inked a letter of intent (LoI) to buy out security systems integrator Pinnacle Integrated Systems for USD1m (EUR682,000) in cash and 300,000 ComCam shares. Status: Exclusivity - US BERKSHIRE TO GAIN FULL OWNERSHIP OF BNSF US Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.A, NYSE:BRK.B), the holding company of tycoon Warren Buffett, has signed a final agreement to buy the remaining 77.4% in holding company Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation (NYSE:BNI) it does not own for USD100 (EUR68.32) apiece. Status: Agreed - WENDEL SEEKING ACQUISITION TARGETS French private equity group Wendel (EPA:MF) is on the hunt for new acquisitions, CEO Frederic Lemoine said. Status: Bidding - CHAIRMAN REJECTS ADVICE ON CAM MERGER WITH PEERS The chairman of Spanish savings bank Caja Mediterraneo (CAM) rejected the suggestion expressed by Valencia economy councilor Gerardo Camps that the bank should merge with two home peers. Status: Denied - SWISS SARASIN TO ACQUIRE CONTROLLING STAKE IN NZB Swiss private lender Bank Sarasin (SWX:BSAN) revealed its intentions to acquire a controlling stake in NZB Neue Zuercher Bank, based in Zurich, but did not disclose the value of the potential transaction. Status: Agreed - INTUIT WRAPS UP PERSONAL FINANCE WEBSITE MINT.COM BUY US business software maker Intuit (NASDAQ:INTU) said it has closed the acquisition of California-based online personal finance services provider Mint.com for USD170m (EUR115m) in cash. Status: Closed - NATIONAL EXPRESS NOT LOOKING TO REOPEN MERGER TALKS WITH STAGECOACH Attempts by UK transport group National Express's (LON:NEX) largest shareholder to get other investors backing a plan to relaunch merger talks with home rival Stagecoach (LON:SCG) seem unlikely to succeed. Status: Terminated - DELL OWNS OVER 90% OF PEROT SYSTEMS US IT giant Dell (NASDAQ:DELL) said it has successfully completed its tender offer for sector player Perot Systems (NYSE:PER) with over 90% of the company being now in its hands. Status: Closed - RISKMETRICS TAKES OVER KLD RESEARCH US risk manager RiskMetrics Group (NYSE:RMG) announced it has acquired Boston-based research specialist KLD Research & Analytics for an undisclosed amount. Status: Closed - SPANISH MERIDIA BUYS MEXICO HOTEL FROM US OWNER FOR USD54M Spanish private equity firm Meridia Capital has bought a hotel property in Mexico from US-based real estate investor Strategic Hotels & Resorts (NYSE:BEE) for USD54m (EUR36.5m). Status: Speculation - LONZA TAKES OVER BELGIAN ALGONOMICS Swiss biotech firm Lonza (VTX:LONN) said it has taken over Belgium-based bioinformatics company AlgoNomics for an undisclosed amount. Status: Closed - SWIFT ENERGY, PETROHAWK STRIKE TEXAS OIL SHALES JV DEAL US oil and gas explorers Swift Energy (NYSE:SFY) and Petrohawk Energy (NYSE:HK) unveiled plans to form a joint venture to develop and operate Swift's Eagle Ford Shale assets in Texas. Status: Agreed - BAYER CROPSCIENCE CLOSES US ATHENIX BUYOUT Bayer CropScience, the agrochemicals unit of German drug maker Bayer (ETR:BAY), said it had closed the USD-365-million (EUR248.7m) acquisition of US biotech firm Athenix Corp. Status: Closed - FIDELITY BOOSTS STAKE IN SPANISH VUELING TO 4.018% Luxembourg-based asset manager Fidelity International (FIL) has raised its holding in Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling (BCN:VULG) to 4.018% from 1.075% it had on 12 October. Status: Closed - IOWA TELECOM COMPLETES WH COMM ACQUISITION US wireline telecomms operator Iowa Telecommunications Services (NYSE:IWA) said it has finalised the acquisition of high-speed DSL Internet provider WH Comm for USD1.1m (EUR750,000). Status: Closed - TELEGATE TO SHED FRENCH OPS German directory-service provider Telegate (ETR:TGT) said it had agreed to offload its French business to its management and private equity firm Newfund. Status: Agreed - VW BOARD TO MEET ON 11 NOV OVER KARMANN DEAL German carmaker Volkswagen's (ETR:VOW) supervisory board will meet on 11 November to consider a plan to acquire troubled car parts maker Karmann. Status: Speculation - TPG CAPITAL TO BUY MAJORITY STAKE IN VALERUS COMPRESSION US private equity firm TPG Capital said it has agreed to buy a majority stake in Houston-based natural gas handling services provider Valerus Compression by investing USD500m (EUR338m) in the company's debt and equity. Status: Agreed - STARWOOD HOTELS TO SELL BLISS SPAS TO STEINER FOR USD100M US hotel operator Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide (NYSE:HOT) said it has inked a deal to sell its Bliss spa and product unit to Bahamas-based spa service provider Steiner Leisure (NASDAQ:STNR) for USD100m (EUR68m). Status: Agreed - ROSNEFT LOWERS NATIONAL OIL CONSORTIUM STAKE TO 20% Russia's oil major Rosneft (MCX:ROSN) said in a statement it has reduced its stake in the National Oil Consortium, comprising participations of Russian oil firms in Venezuelan projects, to 20% from 40%. Status: Closed - KARMANN EXECS EYE STAKES IN THE COMPANY Executives at insolvent German car parts maker Karmann are looking to buy stakes in the company before its final liquidation or acquisition. Status: Speculation - KUDELSKI EXTENDS BUYOUT PERIOD FOR OPENTV Swiss holding company Kudelski (VTX:KUD) said it has extended its USD1.55 (EUR1.05) per share cash tender offer for US digital TV software provider OpenTV Corp (NASDAQ:OPTV) until 12 November. Status: Bidding - BOSNIAN OPTIMA MAY BID FOR FUEL RETAILER ENERGOPETROL Bosnian oil group Optima may place an offer for a stake in home fuel retailer Energopetrol if a regional government terminates a deal with a consortium of Hungary's MOL (BDP:MOL) and Croatia's INA. Status: Bidding - MOTA-ENGIL'S JV SUMA GETS REGULATORY OK TO BUY CONTROL IN ENVIROIL Portugal's competition regulator AdC will not move against a decision by residue management company SUMA to acquire control in Portuguese sector firm Enviroil. Status: Speculation - FOUR TO SIX BIDDERS RACING FOR GAS NATURAL ASSETS Spansih gas distributor Gas Natural (MCE:GAS) has attracted between four and six suitors for the EUR1.5bn (USD2.2bn) assets it is selling and hopes to close the deal by the end of the year. Status: Speculation - US PEET'S TO ACQUIRE DIEDRICH COFFEE FOR USD212M US coffee roaster Peet's Coffee & Tea (NASDAQ:PEET) said it had reached a final agreement to acquire sector player Diedrich Coffee ( NASDAQ:DDRX) for USD212m (EUR143.4m) in cash and stock. Status: Agreed - DAIMLER PAVES WAY TO BOOST KAMAZ STAKE German carmaker Daimler (ETR:DAI) plans to file a petition with the Russian competition regulators requesting approval to boost its holding in Russian truck maker Kamaz (RTC:KMAZ). Status: Bidding - STANLEY WORKS IN USD4.5BN ALL-STOCK DEAL TO BUY BLACK & DECKER US tools supplier Stanley Works (NYSE:SWK) has inked a deal to acquire competitor Black & Decker Corp (NYSE:BDK) in an all-stock transaction valued at USD4.5bn (EUR3bn), the companies said. Status: Agreed - SWEDISH AHLSELL SIGNS LOI TO BUY FINNISH OPS OF DANISH SOLAR Swedish technical trading company Ahlsell said it has signed a letter of intent (LOI) to buy the Finnish operations of Danish electrical products wholesaler Solar (CPH:SOLAR B). Status: Agreed - GREEK ALAPIS TO ESTABLISH JV WITH JAPANESE SHISEIDO Greek pharmaceutical company Alapis (ATH:ALAPIS) said it will set up a joint venture with Japanese cosmetics and pharmaceuticals producer Shiseido Co Ltd (TYO:4911), to operate on the Greek cosmetics market. Status: Agreed - DUTCH ING TO DISPOSE OF THREE US BROKER-DEALER UNITS Dutch financial service company ING Groep (AMS:INGA) said it had agreed to sell three of its independent retail broker-dealer units in the USA to US private equity firm Lightyear Capital, to focus on core business. Status: Agreed - NORWEGIAN AGR OFFLOADS 50% STAKE IN US SUBSIDIARY Norwegian oil service provider AGR Group (OSL:AGR) has sold its 50% interest in US technology development company Horton Deepwater Development Systems to Wison Heavy Industries for USD5.6m (EUR3.8m), AGR said. Status: Closed - TEMASEK, BLACKSTONE, KKR EXPECTED TO BID FOR AXA'S TAIKANG LIFE STAKE Singapore's state wealth fund Temasek and US private equity firms Blackstone (NYSE:BX) and KKR are among the potential suitors expected to bid for the stake of French insurer AXA (EPA:AXA) in Chinese Taikang Life. Status: Speculation - BLACKSTONE TO PAY USD195M TO ACQUIRE STAKES IN TWO MALLS US private equity firm Blackstone (NYSE:BX) has agreed to buy stakes in two malls owned by real estate investment trust (REIT) Glimcher Realty Trust (NYSE:GRT) for USD195m (EUR132m) in cash and debt. Status: Speculaltion - POLAND GETS FOUR BIDS FOR BYTOM, ZABRZE PLANTS The Polish treasury ministry said it has received bids from four interested buyers eyeing stakes in local power plants in Bytom and Zabrze. Status: Auction - BNY ASSET MANAGEMENT ACQUIRES 20% OF SIGULER GUFF The asset management unit of US financial group Bank of New York Mellon Corp (NYSE:BK), BNY Mellon Asset Management, said it has purchased 20% of US private equity firm Siguler Guff & Co for an undisclosed sum. Status: Closed - VALEO BUYS OUT COMPRESSORS JV IN CHINA French car components maker Valeo (EPA:FR) said it has taken full control of a Changchun-based compressors maker, in which it previously held 60%. Status: Closed - SWEDISH INDUTRADE TO ACQUIRE SOUTH KOREAN KVT Swedish industrial components trading company Indutrade (OMX:INDT) said that its subsidiary in the Netherlands, HP Valves BV, has agreed to buy South Korean Key Valve Technologies (KVT). Status: Agreed - FRENCH FAURECIA TO BUY US EMCON TECHNOLOGIES French automotive equipment supplier Faurecia SA (EPA:EO) said it had entered an agreement to buy US EMCON Technologies, an integrator of emissions control technologies for passenger and commercial vehicles. Status: Agreed - ENOC OFFERS GBP4.55 P/S TO BUY OUT DRAGON OIL Dubai's state-owned refinery Emirates National Oil Co has agreed to pay GBP4.55 (USD7.44/EUR5.04) per share to take full ownership of Ireland-based oil producer Dragon Oil (ISE:DGO) by buying the 48% it does not own. Status: Bidding - CHAIRMAN SAYS TELEFONICA'S TALKS WITH PRISA ON DIGITAL+ BUY PROGRESSING Spanish telecomms giant Telefonica's (MCE:TEF) talks with home media group Prisa (MCE:PRS) on the purchase of a stake in Prisa's pay-TV unit Digital+ are advancing. Status: Talks - US CONSTELLATION IN TALKS TO SELL, MERGE AUSTRALIAN, UK OPS US beverage alcohol producer Constellation BrandsÂÂ (NYSE:STZ) said it is talking with a number of firms to sell or merge its wine businesses in Australia and the UK. Status: Talks - SPANISH ACS STICKS TO PLAN TO RAISE STAKE IN IBERDOLAÂÂ TO 20% Spanish contracting giant ACS (MCE:ACS) sticks to its plans to increase its stake in local power utility IberdolaÂÂ (MCE:IBE) to 20% from 12.6%. Status: Bidding - TERRA INDUSTRIESÂÂ CONFIRMS CF INDUSTRIES LATEST BID US fertiliser specialist Terra IndustriesÂÂ (NYSE:TRA) confirmed it has received a revised bid from rival CF IndustriesÂÂ (NYSE:CF) at USD32 in cash plus 0.1034 CF IndustriesÂÂ shares for each of its shares. Status: Bidding - US KRAFT SEEN TO PLACE HOSTILE BID FOR UK CADBURY THIS WEEK US food group Kraft (NYSE:KFT) is expected to make this week a hostile offer of over GBP10bn (USD16.5bn/EUR11.15bn) for UK confectionery firm Cadbury (LON:CBRY). Status: Bidding, Speculation - RUSSIAN REGULATOR LOOKING AT BID FOR NEVA PLANT STAKE Russian businesswoman Tatyana Golubeva has asked for approval the competition regulator FAS to acquire a stake in the Neva Plant OJSC, a manufacturer of equipment for power generation. Status: Bidding - CARBON ACQUISITION DECLARES BID FOR ECOSECURITIES UNCONDITIONAL Carbon Acquisition Company, a unit of US banking group JPMorganÂÂ (NYSE:JPM), said its GBP1.05 (USD1.73/EUR1.17) per share cash offer for Irish carbon offset provider EcoSecurities (LON:ECO) has become unconditional. Status: Bidding - TELEFONICA IN FINAL TALKS TO BUY HANSENET FROM TELECOM ITALIA Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica (MCE:TEF) is in final talks with Italian peer Telecom ItaliaÂÂ (TI) (BIT:TIT) on the purchase of German Internet-access operator HanseNet. Status: Talks - CEO SAYS GDF SUEZÂÂ WILLING TO SELL STAKE TO CHINESE FUND CIC French utility GDF SuezÂÂ (EPA:GSZ) is willing to sell a stake to Chinese sovereign fund CIC. Status: Talks - HSBCÂÂ SEEKS BUYS IN EMERGING MARKETS UK banking group HSBCÂÂ (LON:HSBA) is looking for new buys in emerging markets in Asia, as well as planning to open new banking outlets in China, a market in which it is most interested. Status: Bidding - UK HGCAPITAL LOOKS TO DISPOSE OF HOSEASONS UK private equity firm HgCapital has put its selfcatering holidays business Hoseasons up for sale for a said price of up to GBP50m. Status: Auction, Speculation - ITALIAN TERRE ALTE TO MAKE BUYOUT BID FOR PERMASTEELISA Italian company Terre Alte SpA plans to launch an obligatory takeover bid for building cladding company Permasteelisa, after it has raised its stake to 61.5%. Status: Bidding - URALCHEM REQUESTS APPROVAL TO BUY OUT MINERAL FERTILIZERS Russian chemical group Uralchem (RTB:URHC), or Uralkhimplast OAO,ÂÂ has applied with the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) to clear its acquisition of Perm-based Mineral Fertilizers. Status: Bidding - STRABAG EYES ACQUISITION OF SWISS IMPLENIA Austrian construction group Strabag (WBAG:STR) is keen on buying Swiss competitor Implenia (SWF:IMPN). Status: Bidding, Speculation ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) (c) 2009 M2 COMMUNICATIONS [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]