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TMCNet: M&A Navigator: Deal pipeline - 12 May

[May 12, 2010]

M&A Navigator: Deal pipeline - 12 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: US NATIONAL HEALTHCARE BUYS HOME HEALTH OF SOUTH CAROLINA WITH THREE CENTRES US healthcare centres operator National HealthCare Corporation (AMEX:NHC) said yesterday an affiliate of the group has bought sector firm Home Health of South Carolina Inc.


Status: Closed - SPANISH BANKS CAIXA GALICIA, CAIXANOVA STRIKE AGREEMENT ON MERGER The boards of Spanish savings banks Caixa Galicia and Caixanova sealed an agreement on their merger.

Status: Agreed -- CHINA'S ZHU JUN REPORTEDLY IN TALKS TO BUY UK'S LIVERPOOL FC Zhu Jun, the chairman of Chinese online gaming firm The9 Limited (NASDAQ:NCTY), was cited by the Beijing Times as saying he was in talks to acquire UK's Liverpool premier league football club, but there was no certainty of a deal.

Status: Speculation; Talks - CONSORTIUM LED BY GOLDMAN SACHS TO BUY STAKE IN TAIKANG A group led by US investment bank Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) is close to buying a 15.6% stake in Chinese life insurer Taikang from French insurance giant AXA (EPA:AXA) for nearly USD1bn (EUR789m).

Status: Talks - GENERAL DYNAMICS BUYS EBV EXPLOSIVES ENVIRONMENTAL CO US business aviation products and services provider General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) said it has acquired EBV Explosives Environmental Co, active in demilitarisation and disposal of munitions, explosives and explosive wastes, for an undisclosed sum.

Status: Closed - US FSCM BANK WRAPS UP BUY OF AMP'S MILESTONE MORTGAGE New Orleans-based First Southern Capital Mortgage Bank, or FSCM Bank, announced it had completed the purchase of Milestone Mortgage, the mortgage unit of Aviation Mortgage Partners (AMP) in California, for an undisclosed sum.

Status: Closed - FRENCH CREDIT AGRICOLE ASSURANCE TO SELL CREDIT AGRICOLE LIFE SERBIJA TO AXA Credit Agricole Assurance, a unit of French banking group Credit Agricole (EPA:ACA), announced it was disposing of insurer Credit Agricole Life Serbija to Axa Mediterranean Holding, fully owned by French insurer AXA (EPA:AXA), for an undisclosed sum.

Status: Agreed - US ALLOVER MEDIA TAKES OVER HOME OUTDOOR ADVERTISING AGENCY FILLBOARD MEDIA US out-of-home advertising agency AllOver Media said it had bought local hand-held outdoor advertising firm FillBoard Media, serving petrol stations and convenience stores in the US and Puerto Rico, for an undisclosed sum.

Status: Closed - SWEDISH POOLIA TAKES OVER STAFFING FIRM UTVECKLINGSHUSET Swedish staffing company Poolia (STO:POOL B) said it has bought local sector firm Utvecklingshuset for an undisclosed sum effective 1 April 2010.

Status: Closed - LONZA TO TAKE OVER US SOFTWARE MAKER MODA TECHNOLOGY Swiss pharmaceuticals and biotechnology group Lonza (VTX:LONN) said it has struck a deal to buy US software provider MODA Technology Partners for an unspecified amount.

Status: Agreed - ALTERIS RENEWABLES TAKES OVER US ISI SOLAR US renewables company Alteris Renewables said it has taken over solar electric system producer ISI Solar for an undisclosed sum.

Status: Closed - COPEC SAID TO BE EYEING AEI'S STAKE IN TERPEL Chilean fuel distributor Compania de Petroleos de Chile (Copec) is keen on buying a 24.96% stake in Colombian peer Terpel from US energy investment fund AEI.

Status: Speculation - CANADIAN ADENYO ACQUIRES US MOBILE ADVERTISER MOVOXX Canada-based mobile marketing solutions provider Adenyo said it has bought US mobile advertising firm MoVoxx Inc, without revealing the purchase price.

Status: Closed - US CSS CORP BUYS GLOW NETWORKS, INTEQ'S RIMS UNIT US technology solutions provider CSS Corp said it had taken over consulting and engineering firm Glow Networks and the remote infrastructure management services (RIMS) operations of IT company InteQ in a bid to bolster revenues.

Status: Closed - TURKEY TO START BASKENT DOGALGAZ SALE ON THURSDAY The Turkish privatisation agency said it would launch the sale of 80% in gas distributor Baskent Dogalgaz, which is active in Ankara, tomorrow.

Status: Auction - DUTCH ACOMO CONSIDERS MORE ACQUISITIONS Dutch agricultural products trader Amsterdam Commodities (AMS:ACOMO) will review various options for additional potential acquisitions.

Status: Bidding - RUSSIAN SYNTERRA TAKES OVER HOME TELECOM KANSSTEL Russia's telecommunications group Synterra has taken full control of local Kansstel, a supplier of fixed-line and broadband services in the Tver region, for an undisclosed amount from private investors.

Status: Closed - NUEVA RUMASA'S DAIRY BUSINESS ATTRACTS MAJOR INTEREST Madrid-based holding company Nueva Rumasa said six companies are in the run for its dairy unit Cacaolat ahead of the latter's planned initial public offering.

Status: Bidding - MDC PARTNERS PURCHASES MAJORITY IN US INTEGRATED MEDIA SOLUTIONS Canadian marketing specialist MDC Partners (TSE:MDZ.A) said it has taken a controlling stake in US Integrated Media Solutions (IMS), a direct response media company, for an undisclosed sum.

Status: Closed - BELGIAN HAMON BUYS GERMAN SECTOR CO ENVIROSERV Belgian engineering, procurement and contracting (EPC) company Hamon & Cie (EBR:HAMO) announced the acquisition of German air pollution control specialist Enviroserv.

Status: Closed - CHEMINOVA CLOSES BUY OF ISAGRO DIMETHOATE BUSINESS Danish chemicals producer Cheminova has closed the acquisition of the global dimethoate insecticide business of Italian agrochemicals maker Isagro (BIT:IGS) for EUR9.7m (USD12.3m).

Status: Closed - RHEINMETALL STARTS TENDER OFFER FOR SIMRAD German automotive and defence group Rheinmetall (FRA:RHM) has initiated the tender offer for Norwegian Simrad Optronics (OSL:SIT), a producer of electro-optical equipment, at NOK8.25 (USD1.34/EUR1.06) per share in cash.

Status: Bidding - CORRECTED - FRENCH GROUPE GLON BUYS EGG PRODUCTS SPECIALIST FRANCE PONTE-INOVO In our story dated 10 May 2010 and headlined "French Groupe Glon buys egg products specialist France Ponte-Inovo" please read in the second paragraph "The company also aims at boosting its revenue from its egg products division to EUR190m (USD248.1m) per year" instead of "from agrifood and animal feed activities".

French feed and food company Groupe Glon has bought local egg products specialist France Ponte-Inovo.

Status: Closed - WIENER STAEDTISCHE TO SELL 9.18% OF BUILDER PORR TO TURKISH RENAISSANCE GROUP Wiener Staedtische, the Austrian unit of Vienna Insurance Group (WBAG:VIG), will dispose of a 9.18% stake in local builder Porr (WBAG:POS) to Porr's shareholder Turkish Renaissance Group, Gunter Geyer.

Status: Agreed - US LITHIUM TECHNOLOGIES TAKES OVER SCOUT LABS, TO BOOST PORTFOLIO California-based Lithium Technologies (OTC:LTHU), providing social CRM solutions, said it had bought home Scout Labs, a social media monitoring firm, for an undisclosed sum and in a move to broaden its customer engagement solutions portfolio.

Status: Closed - FRANCE TELECOM EYES BUYS IN EMERGING MARKETS, AFRICA - MAIN TARGET France Telecom (EPA:FTE) is again on the hunt for acquisitions in emerging markets, particularly in Africa.

Status: Bidding - ATEA TO ACQUIRE E-COMMERCE CO DROPZONE FOR EUR3.7M Norway-based IT products and services provider Atea (OSL:ATEA) announced it has inked an agreement to buy Oslo-based e-commerce company Dropzone for an enterprise value of NOK29.2m (USD4.7m/EUR3.7m).

Status: Agreed - US REDPRAIRIE CORP CLOSES BUY OF HOME SMARTTURN US productivity solutions provider RedPrairie Corp said it had wrapped up the purchase of home SmartTurn, focused on on-demand inventory and warehouse management systems (WMS) solutions, for an undisclosed price and in an attempt to expand its portfolio.

Status: Closed - JPMORGAN BOOSTS SHAREHOLDING IN MEDIA GROUP GANNETT US investment bank JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM) has raised its interest in US media and marketing group Gannett (NYSE:GCI) to 10.2% from 2.28%.

Status: Closed - US SOFTWARE FIRMS THE SANT CORPORATION, KADIENT TO TIE UP US The Sant Corporation, offering proposal and sales document automation software, and peer Kadient announced a merger agreement to form a top provider of on-demand sales enablement software solutions.

Status: Agreed - POLAND EXPECTS TO CASH IN EUR1.8BN FROM PRIVATISATIONS NEXT YEAR The Polish treasury hopes to pocket nearly PLN7bn (USD2.2bn/EUR1.8bn) from privatisation deals in 2011.

Status: Auction - S AFRICAN DISCOVERY TO ACQUIRE UK STANDARD LIFE HEALTHCARE South African insurer Discovery Holdings (JNB:DSY) said it has clinched a deal to buy, via its unit Pruhealth Holdings, Standard Life Healthcare, the medical insurance unit of UK sector player Standard Life (LON:SL) for ZAR1.56bn (USD208m/EUR164m) aimed at boosting presence in the UK.

Status: Agreed - DUTCH HAL CLOSES BUY INTO MEXICAN OPTICAL CHAIN GRUPO OPTICO LUX Dutch investor HAL Holding (AMS:HAL) said it has completed the previously announced purchase of a 25% stake in Mexican optical retailer Grupo Optico Lux.

Status: Closed - PRIVATE EQUITY DEAL FOR FIDELITY NATIONAL COULD GO UP TO USD15BN The negotiated acquisition of US electronic payment processor Fidelity National Information Services (NYSE:FIS), eyed currently by a group of three major private equity firms, may reach a value of some USD15bn (EUR11.9bn).

Status: Talks - CEO SAYS GERMAN SAP ON THE HUNT FOR MAJOR ACQUISITIONS German software company SAP (ETR:SAP) is exploring various takeover opportunities in an attempt to add new technologies to its existing product offering.

Status: Bidding - GREEN MOUNTAIN CLOSES DIEDRICH DEAL US coffee maker Green Mountain (NASDAQ:GMCR) unveiled the completion of the acquisition of sector player Diedrich Coffee (NASDAQ:DDRX) following the obtained approval from the Federal Trade Commission.

Status: Closed - FIRSTENERGY, ALLEGHENY ENERGY APPLY FOR MERGER PERMISSION US electric utility holding companies FirstEnergy Corp (NYSE:FE) and Allegheny Energy (NYSE:AYE) filed a request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to clear the proposed combination of their operations.

Status: Agreed - ABC SUPPLY TO BUY BRADCO SUPPLY CORP US roofing supply company ABC Supply Co unveiled an agreement to buy local sector firm Bradco Supply Corp, without revealing the financial terms of the deal.

Status: Agreed - RYTEC CORPORATION TO BUY WYND STAR DOORS US manufacturer of high-speed, high-performance rolling, folding and sliding doors Rytec Corporation said it has agreed to buy Ohio-based, privately-held sector player Wynd Star Doors for an undisclosed sum.

Status: Agreed - STANCHART NEGOTIATES USD10BN ACQUISITION OF S AFRICAN NEDBANK UK bank holding company Standard Chartered (LON:STAN) is negotiating to take over South African bank Nedbank (JNB:NED) for USD10bn (EUR7.9bn).

Status: Talks - US COMPUPAY CLOSES PRIORITY PAYROLL BUY US payroll service company CompuPay said it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Nevada-based sector player Priority Payroll, without providing financial details.

Status: Closed - US MARKEL BUYS FOOD PROCESSING EQUIPMENT MAKER SOLBERN US speciality insurance products marketer and underwriter Markel Corporation (NYSE:MKL) said it has acquired the assets and operations of home privately-held food processing equipment maker Solbern.

Status: Closed - BULGARIA TO OFFLOAD 33% STAKE IN E.ON BULGARIA Bulgaria has decided to sell its 33% interest in the local unit of German utility E.ON (ETR:EOAN) to raise funds under an anti-crisis strategy.

Status: Auction - GE PLANS TO PUT OVER USD1BN IN ACQUISITIONS US conglomerate General Electric (NYSE:GE) is planning to spend over USD1bn (EUR792m) on acquisitions given a projected cash of more than USD25bn at the end of the year.

Status: Bidding - INDUSTRIAS ROMI RAISES OFFER FOR HARDINGE TO USD10 Brazilian machine tools maker Industrias Romi (SAO:ROMI3) said it has sweetened its bid to acquire US sector player Hardinge (NASDAQ:HDNG) to USD10 (EUR7.8) per share in cash, adding this is Romi's "best and final offer".

Status: Bidding - PORTUGAL TELECOM GETS EUR5.7BN OFFER FOR VIVO STAKE Portugal Telecom (ELI:PTCA) said its Spanish rival Telefonica (MCE:TEF) has submitted an unsolicited EUR5.7bn (USD7.3bn) offer for its 50% stake in Brazil's mobile phone operator Vivo (SAO:VIVO3).

Status: Bidding - SEADRILL PLACES MANDATORY CASH BID FOR SCORPION OFFSHORE Oslo-listed offshore drilling contractor Seadrill (OSL:SDRL) said it had made a cash NOK36 (USD5.9/EUR4.6) per-share mandatory offer for the remaining shares of Scorpion Offshore (OSL:SCORE).

Status: Bidding - LIONS GATE STOCKHOLDERS GET NEW EXTENSION BY ICAHN GROUP The Icahn Group, owned by activist shareholder Carl Icahn, announced a new extension of its tender offer for Canada-based movie production studio Lions Gate Entertainment (NYSE:LGF).

Status: Bidding - ITALY'S INTESA SANPAOLO SAYS IN TALKS TO SELL FIDEURAM STAKE TO US HELLMAN & FRIEDMAN Italian banking group Intesa Sanpaolo (BIT:ISP) said it was in preliminary discussions with US private equity investor Hellman & Friedman over the sale of a minority stake in its unit Banca Fideuram, to be soon listed.

Status: Talks - CVC REPORTEDLY AUCTIONS 4% IN IG GROUP UK-based private equity firm CVC Capital Partners has put a 4% stake in British spread betting firm and bookmaker IG Group (LON:IGG) on the market through Barclays Capital.

Status: Auction; Speculation - DUTCH NPM CAPITAL NOT TO BUY MAJORITY IN PUNCH GRAPHIX Dutch investment firm NPM Capital announced the termination of the proposed acquisition of a majority stake in home digital-printing and pre-press equipment maker Punch Graphix (AMS:PGX).

Status: Terminated - DEUTSCHE POST STILL IN TALKS WITH CARAVELLE TO SHED FRENCH PARCEL UNIT German mail and logistics group Deutsche Post (ETR:DPW) is still negotiating to sell its loss-making parcel business in France, DHL France, to financial investor Caravelle.

Status: Talks - HONG KONG BILLIONAIRE PREPARES BID FOR EDF'S UK DISTRIBUTION NETWORK Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-Shing is preparing a GBP4bn (USD5.9bn/EUR4.6bn) bid for the UK electricity distribution network of French energy group EDF (EPA:EDF).

Status: Bidding; Speculation - BOEING, BAE SYSTEMS, RAYTHEON SAID INTERESTED IN ARGON'S TAKEOVER US planemaker Boeing (NYSE:BA), UK defence group BAE Systems (LON:BA) and US sector company Raytheon (NYSE:RTN) are said to be among the suitors for the takeover of US defence company Argon ST (NASDAQ:STST).

Status: Speculation; Bidding - SERBIAN GOVT SAYS CITIGROUP CONSORTIUM SOLE BIDDER TO ADVISE ON TELEKOM SRBIJA STAKE SALE The Serbian finance ministry said that a Citigroup (NYSE:C)-headed consortium is the only bidder to advise in the country's sale of a 40% stake in telecommunications operator Telekom Srbija.

Status: Auction - GENERAL ELECTRIC REPORTEDLY MULLS OVER WAYS OF DIVESTING GARANTI STAKE US industrial giant General Electric (NYSE:GE) is said to be mulling over a block sale or public placement as ways to dispose of its 20.85% shareholding in Turkish Garanti Bank (IST:GARAN).

Status: Speculation; Auction - UK STEEL MAKER CORUS PICKS CITIGROUP TO SELL ITS TEESSIDE PLANT US steel company Corus is disposing of its Teesside production facility in northern England and had selected US Citigroup (NYSE:C) to arrange the sale, a Corus spokesman said.

Status: Talks - US ROCK OF AGES GETS TAKEOVER PROPOSAL BY SWENSON GRANITE CO US Rock of Ages Corporation (NASDAQ:ROAC) said Swenson Granite Company LLC has filed a takeover bid for the granite quarrier and producer, offering USD4.38 (EUR3.35) per outstanding share in cash.

Status: Bidding - ROMANIAN GOVT TO START TALKS ON SALE OF STAKE IN UKRAINIAN KRIVOY ROG TO ARCELORMITTAL GALATI The Romanian economy minister, Adriean Videanu, said that the government will initiate talks this week for the sale of its stake in Ukrainian ore processing plant Krivoy Rog to Romanian steel company ArcelorMittal Galati.

Status: Talks - UK GOLD MINER AVOCET SAYS IN TALKS TO DISPOSE OF SE ASIAN MINES UK gold miner Avocet Mining (LON:AVM) denied media speculation that it had concluded the sale of its South East Asian mines to PT Lebong Tandai, a unit of Indonesian coal miner PT Merukh, for USD250m (EUR191.5m), and said it was in early talks with interested buyers.

Status: Talks - US MONEY4GOLD PLANS TO BUY MOBILE PHONE RECYCLING FIRM OPRA US precious metals recycling company Money4Gold Holdings Inc (OTC:MFGD) said it has sealed a letter of intent to take over Kansas-based mobile phone recycling firm Office Products Recycling Associates (OPRA).

Status: Exclusivity - APAX PARTNERS TO ACQUIRE CONTROLLING STAKE IN BRAZILIAN TIVIT British private equity firm Apax Partners is to buy a controlling 54% interest in Brazilian IT group Tivit (SAO:TVIT3).

Status: Speculation; Bidding - PRIVATE EQUITY FUND EVA GRUPE TO BID FOR POLISH MIESZKO Lithuanian private equity firm EVA Grupe is seeking clearance from the Polish competition regulator to acquire confectionery Mieszko (WAR:MSO).

Status: Bidding - SPANISH MARSANS TO SELL TOUR OPERATOR VIAJES MARSANS IN FEW DAYS Spain-based tourism group Marsans is planning to dispose of tour operator Viajes Marsans within the next few days.

Status: Auction - SONY MUSIC PLANNING BID FOR BRITISH RIVAL EMI US recording giant Sony Music mulls over a potential bid for struggling British competitor EMI, Sony Music CEO Rolf Schmidt-Holz said.

Status: Bidding - LOTOS LIKELY TO BUY OUT LITHUANIAN GEONAFTA Polish refiner Lotos (WAR:LTS) is considering the acquisition of the residual 58% in Lithuanian oil exploration major Geonafta, Lotos CEO Pawel Olechnowicz said.

Status: Bidding - VIRGIN MONEY DROPS BID FOR UK BANKING ASSETS British financial services company Virgin Money has withdrawn from bidding for 318 branches of Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) across the UK.

Status: Auction; Terminated - GOLDSMITH CAPITAL PARTNERS EYES GERMAN KAUFHOF Asset manager Goldsmith Capital Partners is one of the interested parties for German Cologne-based department-store chain Kaufhof, part of Metro (ETR:MEO), a spokesman for Goldsmith said.

Status: Talks - PEABODY ENERGY FILES DEFINITIVE, REVISED OFFER FOR AUSTRALIAN SECTOR CO MACARTHUR US coal miner Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) said it has filed a definite offer of AUD15 (USD13.52/EUR10.47) per share in cash to take over the control at Australian sector company Macarthur Coal (ASX:MCC).

Status: Bidding ((Comments on this story may be sent to tww.feedback@m2.com)) (c) 2010 M2 COMMUNICATIONS

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