Jan 11 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 1100 GMT on Wednesday:
** HNA Group, one of China's most acquisitive conglomerates, said it would extend its reach to New Zealand with the $460 million purchase of asset finance firm UDC, prompting an immediate credit rating downgrade for the nation's biggest non-bank lender. American Apparel LLC's made-in-the-U.S. heritage is uncertain after Canadian apparel maker Gildan Activewear Inc GIL.TO won a bankruptcy auction to acquire the edgy fashion retailer for about $88 million in cash. Real estate tycoon Sam Zell and investment firm Pátria Investimentos Ltda have combined two leading Brazilian self-storage firms in a joint venture that aims to more than double their capacity by 2020, the companies said. GTM Holdings SA, Latin America's No. 1 independent distributor of chemical products, has agreed to pay 550 million reais ($172 million) for Brazilian peer quantiQ Distribuidora Ltda, in an effort to gain more foothold in the region's biggest country. A U.S. judge said Alstom SA ALSO.PA may ask an independent accounting firm to resolve a dispute over the French company's $800 million purchase of General Electric (NYSE:GE) Co's GE.N train-signaling business, and rejected GE's bid for arbitration. Oil and gas producer Parsley Energy Inc PE.N said on Tuesday it would buy acreage in the Permian Basin for about $607 million as the company increases its presence in the oil-rich region. Brookfield Asset Management Inc BAMa.TO said it had submitted alternative proposals regarding its interest in buying bankrupt solar company SunEdison Inc's SUNEQ.PK "yieldco", TerraForm Power Inc TERP.O . Greece wants to keep a majority stake in its gas grid operator DESFA and sell only a small holding to investors after a previous plan to sell a 66 percent stake collapsed, a Greek newspaper reported. The French government's talks with Chinese investors about taking a minority stake in nuclear fuel group Areva NewCo, which is being split off from Areva AREVA.PA , are focusing on governance, French Industry Minister Christophe Sirugue told Reuters.