(Adds Verizon, Alibaba (N:BABA), Hutchison Whampoa and others; updates
Tullett Prebon)
Nov 6 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions
and disposals were reported by 2000 GMT on Friday:
** Britain's AstraZeneca AZN.L said it had agreed to buy
U.S biotech company ZS Pharma ZSPH.O for $2.7 billion, pipping
Swiss firm Actelion ATLN.VX to the prize in the latest bout of
deal-making for the hyperactive healthcare sector. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N13117V
** Verizon Communications Inc (N:VZ) VZ.N is exploring a sale of
its enterprise assets, which could be worth as much as $10
billion, according to people familiar with the matter, as the
largest U.S. wireless carrier seeks to focus on its core
business. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N1302PC
** Alibaba Group Holding Ltd BABA.N agreed to buy Youku
Tudou Inc YOKU.N - popularly known as "China's YouTube" - for
about $3.7 billion, slightly more than it had offered in
October. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N1314KR
** Canada's Brookfield Asset Management BAMa.TO shelved a
$6.5 billion buyout agreement with Australian port and rail
giant Asciano AIO.AX and said it will launch a formal takeover
offer instead, threatening a rival proposal and raising the
antitrust regulator's role in deciding the outcome. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N1306JE
** Singapore Airlines SIAL.SI has launched an offer to buy
all the shares of Tiger Airways TAHL.SI that it does not
already own in a deal that values the budget carrier at about
S$1.02 billion ($725.46 million). urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N1310BE
** A Pfizer Inc (N:PFE) PFE.N merger with Ireland-based Allergan (N:AGN_pa)
AGN.N , in addition to providing tax benefits, would bolster
the U.S. drugmaker's growth prospects should it decide to sell
or spin off its portfolio of products that have gone off patent.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N12Z24V
** EU antitrust regulators have pushed back the deadline for
their decision on Hutchison Whampoa's 0001.HK
10.3-billion-pound ($15.5 billion) bid for British mobile
operator O2 to April next year after the Hong Kong conglomerate
asked for more time. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N1314V9
** China Yangtze Power Co Ltd 600900.SS , China's biggest
hydropower operator, plans to buy a Sichuan hydro power firm for
79.7 billion yuan ($12.55 billion). urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N13156T
** Books and music retailer Fnac FNAC.PA said it had
raised its offer for electrical goods company Darty DRTY.L in
an agreed deal that would create a French market leader in white
goods. The companies said in a statement that the new offer of
about 116 pence per Darty share, up from 101 pence, valued Darty
at about 615 million pounds ($934 million), against 533 million
previously. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N1310O4
** Lockheed Martin Corp (N:LMT) LMT.N said it did not expect any
immediate layoffs as a result of its takeover of Sikorsky
Aircraft from United Technologies Corp (N:UTX) UTX.N , which closed
Friday. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N1311OG
** Private equity firms Gávea Investimentos Ltda and Apax
Partners LLC APAX.UL are interested in the 44.1 percent stake
that Brazilian conglomerate Camargo Correa SA has in apparel and
footwear maker Alpargatas SA ALPA4.SA , three sources with
direct knowledge of the situation said. Camargo Correa's stake
in Alpargatas is worth around 1.86 billion reais ($492 million)
at current market prices. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N1303RI
** Sanofi SASY.PA could hope to get over 12 billion euros
($13 billion) should it decide to sell its Merial animal health
unit and its European generics business, and the French
drugmaker's new boss is seen as well-placed to find a buyer.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N1313R9
** Bids for National Bank of Greece's NBGr.AT Turkish
business, which has a book value of 3.4 billion euros ($3.7
billion), are due by the end of the month, people familiar with
the matter said. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N1314K3
** Norwegian offshore rig driller Odfjell Drilling ODLL.OL
is considering a sale of its oil well services unit to free up
cash amid weak demand for oil rigs in the face of low crude
prices, three sources familiar with the matter said.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N13144H
** German lighting maker Osram OSRn.DE has started the
sales process of its lamps business and plans to separate it
operationally from the rest of the group by next April and
legally by July, a spokesman said. The business has 2 billion
euros ($2.2 billion) in sales. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nFWN13103Y
** Renault's RENA.PA board failed to resolve an escalating
power struggle with the French state over the carmaker's
alliance with Nissan 7201.T , agreeing to back further talks in
a bid to end the standoff. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N1314Q6
** Italian airport and motorway operator Atlantia ATL.MI
said it had broken off talks with international investors to
sell a minority stake in its Aeroporti di Roma (AdR) unit.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nI6N12R01T
** InterContinental Hotels Group Plc IHG.L , one of the
world's largest hoteliers, is exploring strategic options
including a potential sale or merger, Bloomberg reported on
Friday. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N1314UT
** Uzbekistan signed memorandums and deals on investment
projects worth a total of $12.4 billion with foreign firms on
Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov said, after
announcing plans to privatize more than 1,200 companies.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N131320
** Chinese film distributor Bona Film Group Ltd BONA.O
will invest $235 million into a slate of Twentieth Century Fox
movies, the latest in a wave of tie-ups between Hollywood and
Chinese partners to tap China's fast-growing box office.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N1311FS
** Rival interdealer brokers ICAP Plc IAP.L and Tullett
Prebon Plc TLPR.L said they were in discussions regarding the
possible acquisition of ICAP's global broking business by
Tullett. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N1312H2
** Puma PUMG.DE is optimistic that new products like
Rihanna women's wear and running shoes promoted by Usain Bolt
could restore the German sportswear firm to health in 2016 as it
dismissed reports of a sale by majority owner Kering PRTP.PA .
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N13117M
** ANZ Banking Group ANZ.AX and Commonwealth Bank of
Australia CBA.AX could follow top lender National Australia
Bank NAB.AX in selling off stakes in their life insurance
business in a bid to meet rising regulatory capital needs,
bankers say. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N12X1WF
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