Deals of the day-Mergers and acquisitions

Xxl AS

06/12/2024 21:18

(Adds Novo Banco, Ubisoft, Blackstone, Banco, Credit Agricole, Novo Holdings and Goldman Sachs)
       Dec 6 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported
by 2100 GMT on Friday:

    ** Goldman Sachs  GS.N  is exploring options, including a potential sale, of its ETF
Accelerator platform which helps the bank's institutional clients launch their own
exchange-traded funds, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N3N7168
    
    ** Novo Holdings gained unconditional EU antitrust approval for its $16.5 bln acquisition of
U.S. contract drug maker Catalent  CTLT.N  after EU regulators said they did not see any
competition issues.
     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N3N71GJ
    
    ** French bank Credit Agricole  CAGR.PA  said it is buying a further 5.2 percent stake in
Italian bank Banco BPM  BAMI.MI  via derivatives, with a view to eventually buying up to 19.99%
of the lender.
     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nTUAVPX7L
    
    ** Italian bank Banco BPM  BAMI.MI  is preparing to hire Citigroup and Lazard to advise over
how to confront a takeover bid by rival UniCredit  CRDI.MI  which has thwarted its growth
strategy, three people close to the matter said.
     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N3N716E
    
    ** Buyout groups Blackstone  BX.N  and EQT  EQTAB.ST  have advanced to the second round of
bids in the sale process of waste management company Urbaser, according to two sources with
knowledge of the situation.
     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N3N61N5
    
    ** Shareholders of Ubisoft Entertainment SA  UBIP.PA  are considering how to structure a
possible buyout of the Assassin's Creed video game maker without reducing the founding family's
control, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N3N70HT
    
    ** The three owners of Portugal's fourth-largest bank Novo Banco have agreed to lift a ban
on dividend payouts, paving the way for its potential sale or an initial public offering in
2025, the finance minister was quoted as saying.
     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N3N70RO
    
    ** India's CEAT  CEAT.NS  said it would buy French tyremaker Michelin's  MICP.PA  Camso
brand for $225 million, as it looks to expand into higher-margin tyres at a time when elevated
rubber prices have eaten into its profits.
     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N3N70TD
    
    ** British sportswear and fashion group Frasers  FRAS.L   launched a bid for Norwegian
sporting goods retailer XXL ASA  XXL.OL , saying it did not agree with the Oslo-listed company's
plan to issue more shares.
     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N3N705J
    
    ** Britain's Guardian said it had agreed to sell The Observer to startup Tortoise Media,
which sought to overcome staff opposition by pledging to revive the world's oldest Sunday
newspaper as a strong voice in liberal journalism.
     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N3N70FW
    
    ** British insurer Aviva  AV.L  has agreed to buy smaller rival Direct Line  DLGD.L  in a
sweetened 3.61 billion pound ($4.60 billion) cash-and-stock deal that will create the UK's
largest home and motor insurer.
     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N3N70G2
    
    ** China's JD Logistics  2618.HK  will acquire the 36.43% stake it does not already own in
Kuayue-Express Group for not more than 6.48 billion yuan ($892 million) to further enhance
express delivery offerings, the logistics services firm said .
     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N3N70MY]

    ** Singapore's Aelios, owned by billionaire couple Gordon and Celine Tang, on Thursday
launched a mandatory general offer to buy shares in Suntec Real Estate Investment Trust SUNT.SI
that valued the REIT at S$3.39 billion ($2.53 billion).
     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N3N60WR

 (Compiled by Rajarshi Roy, Aamir Sohail and Abhinav Parmar in Bengaluru)
 ((Aamir.sohail@thomsonreuters.com))