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TMCNet: M&A Navigator: Deal Pipeline -- 22 Oct 2009

[October 23, 2009]

M&A Navigator: Deal Pipeline -- 22 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: - AUSTRIA'S CONSTANTIA PRIVATBANK IN TALKS WITH TWO BIDDERS Austrian Constantia Privatbank's owners are negotiating with two interested potential buyers, namely an Austrian group around former Bank Austria's CEO Willi Hemetsberger and a private bank from a neighbouring country.


Status: Auction, Talks - TERNA TO CLOSE BRAZILIAN UNIT SALE ON 3 NOV Italy's power grid operator Terna (BIT:TRN) could finalise the divestment of its Brazilian unit Terna Participacoes (SAO:TRNA11) to power utility Cemig (SAO:CMIG4) on 3 November.

Status: Agreed, Speculation - PROXIMAGEN INKS LOI TO BUY CAMBRIDGE BIOTECHNOLOGY UK's brain treatment specialist Proximagen (LON:PRX) said it has signed a letter of intent (LoI) to buy Cambridge Biotechnology from Swedish bio-drug maker Biovitrum (STO:BVT), as part of its acquisition strategy.

Status: Exclusivity - BUCKEYE PARTNERS TO BUY ASSETS FROM CONOCOPHILLIPS US petroleum products storage and transportation company Buckeye Partners (NYSE:BPL) has agreed to buy some assets from energy group ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) for an undisclosed sum.

Status: Agreed - CNB FINANCIAL SHAREHOLDERS CLEAR TIE-UP WITH UNITED FINANCIAL US financial services provider CNB Financial Corp (NASDAQ:CCNE) said its shareholders have cleared the planned tie-up with local United Financial Bancorp (NASDAQ:UBNK) at a special meeting held earlier today.

Status: Agreed - NATIONAL EXPRESS SAYS STUDYING STAGECOACH BID Uk public transport operator National Express (LON:NEX) said the company is still evaluating the preliminary all-stock takeover bid from its rival Stagecoach (LON:SGC).

Status: Bidding - FSI TO BUY STAKE IN DAILYMOTION THROUGH RIGHTS ISSUE French strategic investment fund FSI said it would subscribe the EUR17m (USD25.5m) capital hike of local video sharing website DailyMotion and take a stake in the company.

Status: Agreed - CNPC CEO SAYS NOT NEGOTIATING ON YPF ACQUISITION Wang Dongjin, vice president of Chinese oil and gas group China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), denied speculation that the company was in talks with Spain's peer Repsol (MCE:REP) to buy its Argentine unit YPF.

Status: Denied - GROUPAMA NOT TO SELL MEDIOBANCA STAKE French insurer Groupama's director general Jean Azema said the company was not planning to offload its stake in Italian investment bank Mediobanca (BIT:MB).

Status: Denied - ENDESA SELLS CONSUMER LENDING BUSINESS TO COLPATRIA Codensa, the Colombian distribution unit of Spanish power company Endesa (MCE:ELE), said it has agreed to sell its consumer loan portfolio to Colmbian Banco Colpatria Red Multibanca (CLB:BCPO) for an undisclosed sum.

Status: Agreed - IMMOFINANZ TO MERGE WITH IMMOEAST IN H1 '10 Eduard Zehetner, chief executive of Austrian real estate investor Immofinanz (WBAG:IIA), said that the planned merger with its unit Immoeast (WBAG:IMEA) is scheduled to take place in the first half of 2010.

Status: Agreed - ANGLO AMERICAN SELLS ASSETS, RESTRUCTURES MANAGEMENT TO STREAMLINE OPS British miner Anglo American (LON:AAL) unveiled plans to shed more assets and reshuffle its management structure in an attempt to streamline its business and focus on core mining operations.

Status: Auction - CRITERIA CAIXA STRIKES ASSET-SWAP DEAL WITH SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT Spanish investment group Criteria CaixaCorp (MCE:CRI) has inked an asset-swap deal, under which it would sell its 11.54% stake in water utility Agbar (MCE:AGS) to French environmental firm Suez Environnement (EPA:SEV) for EUR20 (USD29.99) per share.

Status: Agreed - METSALIITTO TO ACQUIRE METSA-BOTNIA Finland's paper maker Metsaliitto Group said it plans to boost its stake in its subsidiary, pulp maker Oy Metsa-Botnia Ab, to 53% from the current 23%.

Status: Agreed - HSBC TO BOOST STAKE IN VIETNAMESE INSURER BAO VIET UK banking giant HSBC (LON:HSBA) said its Asian insurance arm has inked a deal to raise its stake in Vietnam's insurer and financial services provider Bao Viet to 18% from the current 10% for VND1.88trn (USD105m/EUR70m).

Status: Agreed - BANCO SABADELL NOT LIKELY TO BUY ASSETS OF MERGED BANKS Spanish bank Sabadell (MCE:SAB) is not keen on buying assets of merged banks, CEO Jaume Guardiola said.

Status: Denied - POLAND EXPECTS TO PRIVATISE ENEA IN Q1-Q2 '10 Poland hopes to finalise the sale of its 66% stake in energy group Enea (WAR:ENA) between the first and the second quarter of 2010, the country's treasury minister, Aleksander Grad said.

Status: Auction - CHINA UNICOM TAKES 0.87% OF TELEFONICA VIA USD1BN SHARES SWAP Telecoms company China Unicom (HKG:0762) said it has acquired 0.87% of Spanish sector player Telefonica (MCE:TEF) following the completion of a USD1bn (EUR667m) share swap deal.

Status: Closed - ITALY KERSELF, GREENVISION AMBIENTE MAY MERGE Italian renewable energy firms Kerself (BIT:KRS) and Greenvision Ambiente (BIT:VIS) may be considering an alliance.

Status: Speculation - GVT HIRES CREDIT SUISSE, GOLDMAN SACHS TO ADVISE ON RIVAL TAKEOVER BIDS Brazilian telecoms company GVT (SAO:GVTT3) said it has picked the local units of Swiss lender Credit Suisse (VTX:CSGN) and US bank Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) to advise it on rival offerings from two global players.

Status: Bidding - SPAIN'S CAJACANARIAS, CAN MERGED BANK TO START OPERATIONS IN H1 2010CAN The entity to result from the tie-up of Spanish savings banks CajaCanarias and Caja Navarra (CAN) will start operating in the first half of 2010, the banks said.

Status: Agreed - BOARDS OF SPANISH CAJA ESPANA, DUERO, BURGOS TO REVIEW MERGER IN TWO WEEKS The presidents of Spanish savings banks Caja Espana, Caja Duero, and Caja Burgos decided to submit their merger project simultaneously to their boards in the next 15 days.

Status: Talks - NESTLE MAY DISPOSE OF ALCON STAKE Swiss food giant Nestle (VTX:NESN) may dispose of its 52% in Swiss eye care specialist Alcon (BER:AKR) in a move to raise fresh funds.

Status: Speculation - SPAIN'S PRISA TAKES 17% IN US SPANISH TV V-ME Spanish media group Prisa (MCE:PRS) got hold of a total stake of 17% in US Spanish-language television network V-me Media Inc, and is looking to take control of the company in the future.

Status: Closed - ALTANA'S MAJORITY OWNER OFFERS EUR14 P/S FOR RESIDUAL STAKE German holding company SKion, controlled by Susanne Klatten, proposed to buyout a minority shareholding in domestic specialty chemicals group Altana (ETR:ALT) at EUR14 (USD20.9) per share.

Status: Bidding - ORANGE'S SWISS UNIT, SUNRISE NEGOTIATING NETWORK OPS TIE-UP Mobile operators Orange Switzerland and Sunrise have confirmed they have been in talks since early 2009 on a possible tie-up of their mobile network operations.

Status: Talks, Speculation - S.KOREAN KNOC TO TAKE OVER CANADIAN HARVEST FOR CAD1.8BN Canadian oil and gas producer Harvest Energy Trust (TSE:HTE.UN) announced it has agreed to be acquired by South Korean Korea National Oil Corp, or KNOC, for CAD1.8bn (USD1.7bn/EUR1.15bn) in cash, or CAD10 per unit.

Status: Agreed - IRISH LIFE & PERMANENT SHOULD INJECT EUR500M IN PERMANENT TBS BEFORE MERGER Irish Life & Permanent (ISE:IPM) may have to inject up to EUR500m (USD750m) in its Permanent TSB building society to get it ready for a merger with two home peers.

Status: Auction - EC SAYS ORACLE STILL HAS TO ALLAY COMPETITION CONCERNS ON SUN DEAL Europe's competition chief has informed the president of US Oracle (NASDAQ:ORCL) that the company has not given enough guarantees to ease competition worries over its planned acquisition of Sun Microsystems (NASDAQ:JAVA).

Status: Delayed - P&G IN TALKS TO BUY PARTS OF SARA LEE HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS UNIT US consumer products group Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) is negotiating the acquisition of parts of US consumer products group Sara Lee's (NYSE:SLE) global household products unit.

Status: Talks, Speculation - UK CENTRICA EYES MORE NORTH SEA GAS ASSETS UK utility Centrica (LON:CNA) is looking to respond to client demand and buy more gas assets in the North Sea, after recently closing the purchase of oil and gas firm Venture Production.

Status: Bidding - US STRATUS MEDIA AGREES TO ACQUIRE PROELITE US live entertainment company Stratus Media Group (OTC:SMDI) said it has inked an agreement to buy a controlling stake in local firm ProElite (OTC:PELE), a promoter of live mixed martial arts (MMA) events.

Status: Agreed - FRENCH SOFIPROTEOL INKS PHOTOVOLTAICS JV DEAL WITH SUNNCO French oilseeds investment group Sofiproteol and local solar energy company Sunnco GC have signed a joint venture deal to promote the installation of solar-panel roofs in the agricultural sector.

Status: Agreed - FRENCH CALLEO TO BUY LOCAL PEER ACTION PORTAGE Calleo, a French provider of billing services for self-employed, said it has agreed to acquire local peer Action Portage for an undisclosed sum.

Status: Agreed - FRENCH SERVAL TO EXPAND WITH ACQUISITION OF LOCAL PEER French cosmetics firm Serval has decided to buy domestic peer Copar-Biocos, the company said without revealing the financial details of the deal.

Status: Agreed - GERMAN RWE CLOSES SALE OF MAJORITY STAKE IN SWB German utility RWE (ETR:RWE) sold yesterday its 51% holding in municipal utility Stadtwerke Bremen (SWB AG) to the local city of Bremen, RWE said.

Status: Closed - PORTUGAL TELECOM NOT INTERESTED IN STAKE IN IMPRESA Portugal Telecom (ELI:PTS), or PT, has no plans to acquire a stake in national media company Impresa (ELI:IPR), CEO Zeinal Bava said.

Status: Denied - GERMAN ENBW CLOSES BUY OF 75.1% IN STKW Swiss utility BKW FMB Energie (VTX:BKWN) said that German peer EnBW Energie Baden-Wurttemberg (FRA:EBK) has finalised the purchase of a 75.1% interest in BKW's German unit STKW Energie Dorpen.

Status: Closed - UKRAINIAN WATCHDOG CLEARS FINTEST TRADING-INVESTROZVYTOK DEAL Ukraine's antitrust watchdog said it has given the thumbs-up to Cypriot investment company Fintest Trading to acquire a 50% stake in Ukrainian firm Investrozvytok.

Status: Agreed - US AERO FINANCIAL BUYS LOCAL EDUCATION CO Aero Financial, a US-based provider of advisory and consultancy services, said that it has acquired a majority stake in local health and education company Entelechis.

Status: Agreed - AXA IN TALKS TO OFFLOAD STAKE IN CHINESE TAIKANG French insurance company AXA SA (EPA:AXA) is in discussions to dispose of its 15% stake in Chinese Taikang Life Insurance Company.

Status: Talks, Speculation - GREEK NEORION IN NEGOTIATIONS TO BUY HELLENIC SHIPYARDS FROM THYSSENKRUPP Greek shipyard Neorion (ATH:NEORS) is in exploratory discussions to buy Hellenic Shipyards, the Greek unit of German engineering group ThyssenKrupp (ETR:TKA).

Status: Talks - SPANISH ACS UNIT CLOSES BUY OF POLISH POL-AQUA FOR EUR115.8M Spanish construction group ACS Actividades de Construccion y Servicios (MCE:ACS) said its subsidiary Dragados has closed the purchase of 65.53% in Polish sector player Pol-Aqua (WAR:PQA) for EUR115.8m (USD173.7m).

Status: Closed - SPANISH CINTRA STOCKHOLDERS APPROVE MERGER WITH FERROVIAL Spanish toll-road operator Cintra said (MCE:CCIT) its shareholders have approved the merger with construction and services group Ferrovial (MCE:FER), already cleared by Ferrovial shareholders.

Status: Agreed - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 tww.feedback@m2.com)) (c) 2009 M2 COMMUNICATIONS

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