EU mergers and takeovers (Dec 11)

KME SpA

11/12/2018 18:05

BRUSSELS, Dec 11 (Reuters) - The following are mergers under
review by the European Commission and a brief guide to the EU
merger process:
    
    APPROVALS AND WITHDRAWALS
    -- French aerospace and defence group Thales  TCFP.PA  to
acquire Franco-Dutch chipmaker Gemalto  GTO.AS  (approved Dec.
11)
    -- Copper company KME, which is part of Intek Group
 IKG.MI , to acquire German peer MKM Mansfelder Kupfer and
Messing GmbH (approved Dec. 11)
    -- U.S. battery maker Energizer Holdings  ENR.N  to acquire
Spectrum Brands'  SPB.N  battery and portable lighting business
(approved Dec. 11)
    -- Chemicals company Quaker Chemical Corp  KWR.N  and
Hinduja Group's Houghton International  HGINL.UL  to merge
(approved Dec. 11)
    -- U.S. asset manager the Carlyle Group  CG.O  to acquire
U.S. aviation investment manager Apollo Aviation Holdings Ltd
(approved Dec. 10)kwr
    -- Investment manager CVC Capital Partners and financial
company Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group  8306.T  to acquire title
loan provider for the underbanked segment of Thai consumers,
Ngern Tid Lor Company Limited together with its direct and
indirect subsidiaries (approved Dec. 10)
    -- French tire manufacturer and distributor Compagnie
Generale des Etablissements Michelin  MICP.PA  to acquire sole
control of Canadian tire and track manufacturer and distributor
Camso Inc. and its subsidiaries (approved Dec. 10)
    -- Insurance provider Generali CEE, subsidiary of
Assicurazioni Generali  GASI.MI , to acquire direct sole control
over insurance and asset management company in Slovenia and
Croatia, Adriatic Slovenica, Zavarovalna druzba and indirect
control over its subsidiaries (approved Dec. 10)
    
    NEW LISTINGS
    -- Grains merchant Archer Daniels Midland  ADM.N  to acquire
French animal feed business Neovia (notified Nov. 16/deadline
Dec. 21/simplified)         
    
    EXTENSIONS AND OTHER CHANGES
    -- UK mobile telephony provider Vodafone  VOD.L  to acquire
U.S. Liberty Global's  LBTYA.O  telecommunications business in
the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary and Romania (notified Oct.
19/deadline Nov. 27/deadline extended to May 2 after the
European Commission opened an in-depth investigation)
    
    FIRST-STAGE REVIEWS BY DEADLINE
    
    DEC 11
    -- German chemicals company BASF SE  BASFn.DE  and Solenis
to combine their paper and water chemicals businesses, which
will then be 49 percent owned by BASF and the rest by U.S.
private equity investment firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R)
(notified Nov. 6/deadline Dec. 11)
    
    DEC 13
    -- Chinese electronic manufacturer Haier Group  1169.HK  to
acquire Italian domestic appliance manufacturer Candy S.p.A.
(notified Nov. 8/deadline Dec. 13)
    
    DEC 18
    -- German energy company E.ON  EONGn.DE , via its subsidiary
E.ON Drive Infrastructure, and Finnish energy company Helen Oy
to acquire joint control of Finnish e-mobility software company
Liikennevirta Oy (notified Nov. 13/deadline Dec. 18/simplified)
        
    DEC 20
    -- Packaging companies Amcor Limited  AMC.AX , Arctic Jersey
Limited, Arctic Corporation and Bemis  BMS.N , Amcor and Bemis
to combine through a merger of Bemis, Amcor and Bemis into New
Holdco (notified Nov. 15/deadline Dec. 20)
    
    DEC 21
    -- Investment fund IFM Investors and commodities trader
Vitol to jointly acquire oil products terminal operator VTTI,
which is now jointly controlled by Vitol Holding BV and Buckeye
Partners (notified Dec. 5/deadline Jan. 21/simplified)
    -- CP VII, a fund managed by global alternative asset
manager Carlyle  CG.O , to acquire risk management services
provider Sedgwick (notified Nov. 16/deadline Dec. 21)
    -- New York private investment firm Cerberus Group to
acquire UK creative brand merchandising solutions company Marke
Creative Merchandise (notified Nov. 16/deadline Dec.
21/simplified) 
    -- French energy company Engie  ENGIE.PA  to acquire joint
control of Windplus with utility company EDP Renewables and
energy company Repsol Nuevas Energias (notified Nov. 16/deadline
Dec. 21/simplified)
    -- Investment company BC European Capital X to acquire
indirect sole control of South East Europe telecoms and media
provider United Group  ABBI.UL  (notified Nov. 16/deadline Dec.
21)
    -- Nordic investment and asset management company CapMan
Group of companies and Korean asset management company NH-Amundi
Asset Management to acquire 50 percent of shares of an onshore
wind farm in Sweden from sole controller Green Investment Group
Limited (notified Nov. 16/deadline Dec. 21/simplified)
    
    JAN 3
    -- Japanese car maker Toyota Motor Corp  7203.T  and Monet
Technologies Corporation, jointly controlled by Japanese
SoftBank Corporation  9434.T , to set up a Japanese software
platform joint venture (notified Nov. 19/deadline Jan.
3/simplified)
    -- Japanese steel trading company Metal One Corp, a
subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corp  8058.T , and trading and
investment company Sumitomo Corporation  8053.T  to acquire
joint control of Metal One Pipe & Tubular Products Inc., a
subsidiary of Metal One (notified Nov. 19/deadling Jan.
3/simplified)
    
    JAN 4
    -- U.S. soft drinks company Coca-Cola Co  KO.N  to acquire
coffee chain Costa (notified Nov. 20/deadline Jan. 4)
    
    JAN 8
    -- Japanese industrial company MinebeaMitsumi  6479.T  to
acquire Japanese peer U-Shin  6985.T  (notified Nov. 22/deadline
Jan. 8/simplified)
        
    JAN 9
    -- Autolaunch and Beijing Automotive Group  BEJINS.UL 
subsidiary Beijing Electric Vehicle Co to set up a joint venture
(notified Nov. 23/deadline Jan. 9/simplified)
    -- China Reinsurance Group Corp   1508.HK to acquire insurer
Chaucer from U.S. insurer Hanover Insurance Group  THG.N 
(notified Nov. 23/deadline Jan. 9/simplified)
    
    JAN 10
    -- Turkish pension fund OYAK to acquire Portuguese cement
producer Cimpor (notified Nov. 26/deadline Jan. 10/simplified)
    -- Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company Q.P.S.C., a
subsidiary of the Qatar Investment Authority,  will acquire
joint control alongside DV4 Limited, Oxford Jersey Holding
Company Limited and Stichting Depositary APG Strategic Real
Estate Pool over an existing UK real estate undertaking
(notified Nov. 26/deadline Jan. 10/simplified)
    -- Private investment manager Apollo Management  APOLO.UL 
to acquire Bermuda insurance company Aspen Insurance Holdings
Limited  AHL.N  (notified Nov. 26/deadline Jan. 10/simplified)
    
    JAN 11
    -- Japanese trading company Sumitomo Corp  8053.T  and
Japan's Toyota Motor Corp  7203.T  to launch a Japanese
full-function joint venture, MOBILOTS Corp, to supply financing
for vehicles (notified Nov. 27/deadline Jan. 11/simplified)
    -- Japanese trading company Sumitomo Corp  8053.T  and
Japanese Toyota Motor Corp  7203.T  to launch a Japanese
full-function joint venture, KINTO Corp, to supply mobility
services (notified Nov. 27/deadline Jan. 11/simplified)
    -- German drink producer and distributor Dr. August Oetker
Finanzierungs- und Beteiligungs-GmbH to acquire 49 percent of
German F & B - Food and Beverage Services GmbH, a subsidiary of
Transgourmet Deutschland GmbH & Co. (notified Nov. 27/deadline
Jan. 11/simplified)
    
    JAN 15
    -- MML Capital Partners Fund VI GP Ltd to acquire joint
control of Peggy Holdco Limited, a subsidiary of Australian
funds management company Macquarie European Investment Holdings
Limited (notified Nov. 29/deadline Jan. 15/simplified)
    -- A6 Invest 9 TF, acting on behalf of Astorg Asset
Management, and Montagu Private Equity LLP to acquire joint
control of plastic drug delivery systems manufacturer, Nemera
Capital and its subsidiaries (notified Nov. 29/deadline Jan.
15/simplified) 
    -- French logistics services company Bollore Africa
Logistics and Dutch operator of container terminals APM
Terminals BV to acquire joint control of Ivory Coast container
terminal constructor Cote d'Ivoire Terminal (notified Nov.
29/deadline Jan. 15/simplified)
    
    JAN 18
    -- Private equity fund Equistone Partners Europe to acquire
French sporting goods retailer Courir (notified Dec. 4/deadline
Jan. 18/simplified) 
    -- Swiss distributor of IT products and services SoftwareONE
Holding to acquire sole control of German distributor of IT
products and services COMPAREX AH  PCWG.UL  (notified Dec.
4/deadline Jan. 18/simplified)
    
    JAN 21
    -- Distributor of auto parts Digital Auto Parts, controlled
by private equity investment firm Bain Capital investors, to
acquire online retail auto parts distributor Oscaro Group
(notified Dec. 5/deadline Jan. 21/simplified)
    
    JAN 23
    -- India's UPL Corp  UPLL.NS  to acquire U.S. chemicals
maker Platform Specialty Products Corp's agrochemicals business
Arysta LifeScience (notified Dec. 7/deadline Jan. 23)
    
    JAN 25
    -- German company BASF  BASFn.DE  to acquire Belgian
chemicals company Solvay's  SOLB.BR  worldwide polyamide
business (notified May 22/deadline Jan. 25/concessions offered
on Oct. 15)
    
    JAN 28
    -- Siemens  SIEGn.DE  and Alstom  ALSO.PA  to merge their
railway operations (notified June 8/deadline Jan. 28)
    
    FEB 2
    -- German copper products maker Wieland-Werke to acquire
German copper smelter Aurubis'  NAFG.DE  flat rolled products
unit Products Schwermetall (notified June 13/deadline extended
to Feb. 2 from Jan. 17 after Wieland-Werke submitted
concessions)
    
    MAR 26
    --- Germany's Thyssenkrupp  TKAG.DE  and India's Tata Steel
 TISC.NS  to set up a steel joint venture (notified Sept.
25/deadline extended to March 26 from March 19 after the
companies asked for more time)
    
    APRIL 15
    -- Electronic and motor manufacturing company Nidec  6594.T 
to acquire sole control of U.S. white goods maker Whirlpool
Corp's  WHR.N  compressor subsidiary Embraco (notified Oct.
8/deadline extended to April 15 from Nov. 28 after the European
Commission opened an in-depth investigation)
    
    APRIL 16
    -- Steel company Aperam  APAM.AS  to acquire Netherlands
producer of materials from nickel and nickel alloy VDM Metals
Holding (notified Oct. 23/deadline extended to April 16 from
Nov. 29 after the European Commission opened an in-depth
investigation)
    
    GUIDE TO EU MERGER PROCESS 
    DEADLINES:    
    The European Commission has 25 working days after a deal is
filed for a first-stage review. It may extend that by 10 working
days to 35 working days, to consider either a company's proposed
remedies or an EU member state's request to handle the case.   
Most mergers win approval but occasionally the Commission opens
a detailed second-stage investigation for up to 90 additional
working days, which it may extend to 105 working days.
    
    SIMPLIFIED:
    Under the simplified procedure, the Commission announces the
clearance of uncontroversial first-stage mergers without giving
any reason for its decision. Cases may be reclassified as
non-simplified - that is, ordinary first-stage reviews - until
they are approved.

 (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee)
 ((foo.yunchee@thomsonreuters.com; +32 2 287 6844; Reuters
Messaging: foo.yunchee.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))