M&A Navigator: Deal pipeline – 7 Jan 2010

The following is a list a of deals covered in detail by M&A Navigator this week:

- ABU DHABI'S IPIC BOOSTS OMV STAKE TO 20%

Abu Dhabi state-owned International Petroleum Investment Company, or IPIC, has increased its holding in Austrian oil and gas group OMV (WBAG:OMV) to 20%.

Status: Closed

- PLUSPETROL WRAPS UP PETRO ANDINA BUY

Dutch-based oil company Pluspetrol Resources Corp has closed the acquisition of Canadian sector player Petro Andina Resources.

Status: Closed

- US SEACHANGE TO ACQUIRE VIVIDLOGIC

US software and hardware solution provider SeaChange International (NASDAQ:SEAC) has inked a deal to buy the outstanding shares of privately-owned software company VividLogic.

Status: Agreed

- US IRONWOOD OIL & GAS CLOSES ASSETS ACQUISITION IN EAST TEXAS

US oil and gas firm Ironwood Oil & Gas has completed the acquisition of operated and non-operated interests in 171 wells and over 60,000 net undeveloped acres in the East Texas basin from a private company.

Status: Closed

- US BAY GROVE BUYS CITYICE COLD STORAGE

San Francisco-based investor Bay Grove Capital announced it had purchased cold storage warehouse services firm CityIce Cold Storage in Seattle.

Status: Closed

- GOOGLE, ON2 TO AMEND ACQUISITION TERMS

US video compression technology developer On2 Technologies (AMEX:ONT) and Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) said in a joint statement that they have agreed to amend the agreement, under which Google will acquire On2.

Status: Agreed

- RBS, SEMPRA RECEIVE THREE USD4BN BIDS FOR COMMODITIES JV

Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) and US utility Sempra (NYSE:SRE) have received three offers, each worth around USD4bn (EUR2.8bn), for RBS Sempra, their commodities joint venture.

Status: Speculation; Bidding

- GREEK NEP PUBLICATIONS TAKES 12.5% OF PEGASUS PUBLICATIONS

NEP Publications, owned by Greek businessmen Lavrentis Lavrentiadis and P. Kyriakidis, said it acquired a 12.53% stake in local publisher Pegasus Publications (ATH:PEGAS) in a transaction finalised on 21 December.

Status: Closed

- US TYLER TECHNOLOGIES WRAPS UP WIZNET BUYOUT

Tyler Technologies (NYSE:TYL), a US provider of software solutions for local governments, has closed the acquisition of Florida-based document management solutions specialist Wiznet.

Status: Closed

- SWEDISH INVESTMENT AB ORESUND TO ACQUIRE GLOBAL BATTERIER

Swedish company Investment AB Oresund (STO:ORES) has agreed to buy local battery distributor Global Batterier from its founders, Denny and Conny Ullenius.

Status: Agreed

- US BMC SOFTWARE BUYS PHURNACE SOFTWARE

US software vendor BMC Software (NASDAQ:BMC) has bought privately-owned automation software developer Phurnace Software.

Status: Closed

- LOTTE CONSIDERS BUYING A DOW CHEMICAL ARM

South Korea's diversified group Lotte is mulling over the buyout of plastic synthetic resins maker Styron Corp, a unit of US chemicals giant Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW).

Status: Speculation

- US PREDICTIVE BUYS OHIO-BASED PATHOLOGY LAB

Massachusetts-based Predictive Biosciences said it had bought OncoDiagnostic Laboratory, or ODL, in Ohio for an undisclosed sum.

Status: Closed

- TWO SWEDISH GROUPS TO MAKE LAST MINUTE OFFERS FOR SAAB

Two Swedish groups are expected to place last minute bids for carmaker Saab.

Status: Speculation; Bidding

- STOMANA INDUSTRY, PETER PREIMESSER TAKE OVER SVILOZA'S PORT

Bulgarian steel mill Stomana Industry, controlled by Greek metal group Viohalco (ATH:BIOX), said that together with German firm Peter Preimesser, it has bought the Danube port of Bulgarian paper mill Sviloza (BUL:3MZ).

Status: Closed

- POLAND TO PLACE 10% OF KGHM ON THE MARKET

Poland is seeking suitors for a 10% interest in copper and silver producer KGHM Polska Miedz (WAR:KGHM) worth PLN2.1bn (USD737m/EUR513m) as part of its privatisation plan.

Status: Speculation

- RELIANCE MEDIAWORKS BUYS UK FILM-PROCESSING CO

India's film and entertainment services group Reliance Mediaworks (BOM:532399) announced it has taken over British film-processing company iLab UK Ltd for an undisclosed sum.

Status: Closed

- US EGPI SIGNS LOI TO BUY TRAFFIC & LIGHTING

US oil production company EGPI Firecreek (OTC:EFIR) has signed a binding letter of intent (LOI) to buy privately-owned Traffic and Lighting Corp (TLC) for an undisclosed price.

Status: Esclusivity

- BELGIAN AVH TO SELL ASCO LIFE FOR EUR4.1M

Belgian investment company Ackermans & van Haaren (EBR:ACKB), or AvH, has agreed to sell all of its shares in home life insurer Asco Life to Patronale Hypotheekmaatschappij for EUR4.1m (USD5.9m).

Status: Agreed

- VUELING CLEARS TAKEOVER OF HANDLING UNIT BY IBERIA

Spanish low-cost air carrier Vueling (BCN:VULG) agreed to national flag carrier Iberia (MCE:IBLA) taking over its handling unit following the merger with home peer Clickair.

Status: Agreed

- CDC SOFTWARE LAUNCHES USD105.1M BID TO BUY CHORDIANT SOFTWARE

US enterprise software maker CDC Software (NASDAQ:CDCS) has launched a USD105.1m (EUR73.1m) cash-and-stock bid to buy all outstanding shares in sector player Chordiant Software (NASDAQ:CHRD).

Status: Bidding

- US PFINGSTEN PARTNERS BUYS MOTUS(3)

US private equity firm Pfingsten Partners has bought food processing equipment producer Motus(3) Companies.

Status: Closed

- FINNISH ASPO TAKES OVER RCP IN LATVIA

Finnish diversified holding company Aspo (HEL:ASU1V) has acquired Latvian food ingredients retailer Raugs un citas preces SIA (RCP), as part of its expansion strategy.

Status: Closed

- FINNISH RIGHTWARE TAKES OVER US FUTUREMARK'S MOBILE AND EMBEDDED UNIT

Finnish company Rightware has bought the Mobile and Embedded business unit of US performance analysis software and service provider Futuremark for an undisclosed price.

Status: Closed

- CREDITORS TO PICK BUYER FOR INSOLVENT QUELLE IN JAN

A decision on the sale of German bankrupt mail-order giant Quelle will be made in January.

Status: Talks

- JPMORGAN CUTS STAKE IN CHINESE LIFE INSURER

US financial group JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) has lowered its stake in life insurer China Life Insurance Co (HKG:2628) to 7.99%.

Status: Closed

- CANADIAN COALCORP TO SELL MINE IN COLOMBIA TO GOLDMAN SACHS

Canadian mining group Coalcorp Mining (TSE:CCJ) it has inked a deal to sell its Colombia-based La Francia mine and related infrastructure assets to a subsidiary of US bank holding company Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS).

Status: Agreed

- TURKEY PLANS SECOND PUBLIC OFFERING FOR STAKE IN TURK TELEKOM

Turkey's government could auction part of its 30% stake in fixed line operator Turk Telekom (IST:TTKOM.E) this year in a second public offering.

Status: Auction

- AREVA CLOSE TO SELL ERAMET, STMICROELECTRONICS STAKES

French nuclear group Areva (EPA:CEI) is nearing a deal to sell its interests in mining company Eramet (EPA:ERA) and chip maker STMicroelectronics (EPA:STM).

Status: Speculation; Talks

- RYANAIR SAYS THIRD BID FOR AER LINGUS "HIGHLY UNLIKELY"

Irish low-cost air carrier Ryanair (ISE:RYA) has denied reports that it was putting together a third bid for home rival Aer Lingus (ISE:AERL).

Status: Denied

- CADBURY SAYS TO PUBLISH SECOND DEFENCE AGAINST KRAFT BID ON 15 JAN

UK confectioner Cadbury (LON:CBRY) announced it had decided to publish on 15 January its second response to the hostile takeover offer by US food giant Kraft (NYSE:KFT).

Status: Bidding

- US COMFORT SYSTEMS BUYS ACORN INDUSTRIAL, DILLINGHAM

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) installation provider Comfort Systems USA (NYSE:FIX) has bought North Carolina-based Acorn Industrial and Tennessee-based Dillingham & Smith Mechanical and Sheet Metal Contractors.

Status: Closed

- SPANISH CCM TO CLEAR TIE-UP WITH CAJASTUR BEFORE APRIL

Spanish savings bank Caja Castilla-La Mancha (CCM) will probably clear the merger with sector player Cajastur before April at an extraordinary meeting.

Status: Talks

- ALFA LAVAL BUYS US COMPANY

Sweden's engineering group Alfa Laval (STO:ALFA) has taken over Champ Products, a US-based US supplier of cooling equipment to the OEM engine market, the company said in a statement without providing the deal's value.

Status: Closed

- BELGIAN BARCO BUYS ITALIAN FIMI FROM PHILIPS

Belgian medical display company Barco (EBR:BAR) announced the acquisition of Dutch Royal Philips Electronics' (AMS:PHIA) Italian medical display unit Fimi for EUR19m (USD27.3m) in cash.

Status: Closed

- SAVINGS BANKS LAIETANA, PENEDES LIKELY TO RESUME TALKS ON TIE-UP

Spanish savings banks Caixa Laietana and Caixa Penedes are considering to resume merger talks, suspended just before Christmas, informed sources told EFE.

Status: Speculation

- CADBURY DISCUSSES RIVAL BID WITH HERSHEY

Directors at UK confectioner Cadbury (LON:CBRY), pursued by US food giant Kraft (NYSE:KFT), have met their counterparts at US chocolate maker Hershey (NYSE:HSY) to discuss a possible rival bid.

Status: Speculation; Talks

- GALP MAY BID FOR SHELL ASSETS IN AFRICA

Portuguese oil and gas explorer Galp Energia (ELI:GALP) is among the potential buyers of some assets of Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell (LON:RDSA) in Africa.

Status: Speculation

- DAVIS SERVICE GROUP ANNOUNCES TWO ACQUISITIONS IN EUROPE

UK's textile maintenance firm Davis Service Group (LON:DVSG) has acquired two companies in Europe for a combined GBP44.5m (USD71.1m/EUR49.4m) in a move to boost its presence on the continent.

Status: Closed

- CEGEDIM'S UNIT BUYS PHARMACIE GESTION INFORMATIQUE

French pharmacy software specialist Alliadis, part of the Cegedim group (EPA:CGM), has acquired home sector player Pharmacie Gestion Informatique (PGI) for an undisclosed amount.

Status: Closed

- DUTCH ORANJEWOUD BUYS MAJORITY IN ARTIFICIAL-GRASS FIRM

Dutch engineering and consultancy company Oranjewoud (AMS:ORANW) has acquired a majority stake in local artificial-grass maker J&E Sports.

Status: Closed

- DOLPHIN CAPITAL UNLOADS 33% IN GREEK KEA RESORT FOR EUR4.1M

British residential resort investor Dolphin Capital Investors (LON:DCI) has agreed to offload a 33% interest in its Kea Resort in Greece for EUR4.1m (USD5.9m) to Exactarea International, a company affiliated with the resort's designer, John Heah.

Status: Agreed

- US KRAFT GETS EC NOD TO BUY UK CADBURY

US food group Kraft Foods (NYSE:KFT) has received approval from the European Commission (EC) to buy UK confectioner Cadbury (LON:CBRY).

Status: Bidding

- ORELL FUESSLI TAKES OVER GERMAN FIRM

Swiss printing and publishing group Orell Fuessli (SWF:OFN) announced it has bought 74.9% of German digital printing technology firm Sofha GmbH effective from January 1, 2010.

Status: Closed

- UOB TO DIVEST LIFE INSURANCE OPS TO PRUDENTIAL

Singapore's United Overseas Bank (SIN:U11), or UOB, is expected to announce that it plans to shed its home life insurance arm to British financial group Prudential (LON:PRU) for USD310m (EUR216m).

Status: Speculation

- KRAFT RECEIVES 1.52% ACCEPTANCE FOR CADBURY HOSTILE OFFER

US food group Kraft (NYSE:KFT) said its hostile takeover bid for UK confectioner Cadbury (LON:CBRY) received 1.52% acceptance by the initial closing date on 5 January.

Status: Bidding

- RUSSIAN GROUP KEEN ON BUYING MAJORITY IN UKRAINE'S DONBASS

Ukraine's steel group Industrial Union of Donbass is expected to be taken over by an unnamed Russian group this month, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing persons in the know.

Status: Speculation

- BANCO SANTANDER INTERESTED IN SLOVENIAN NLB

Spain's lender Banco Santander (MCE:SAN) is mulling over the acquisition of a 30.6% stake in Slovenian banking group Nova Ljubljanska Banka (NLB) from Belgian bank KBC (EBR:KBC).

Status: Speculation

- RUSSIAN CO MAY BUY UKRAINIAN ISD CORP

An unnamed Russian company may buy a controlling stake in troubled Ukraine-based steel producer Industrialny Soyuz Donbassa (ISD) Corporation.

Status: Talks; Specultaion

- CENTRICA TO COMPLETE DUTCH OXXIO DIVESTMENT BY MID-2010

British energy group Centrica (LON:CNA) is planning to finalise the divestment of its Dutch utility Oxxio by mid-2010.

Status: Auction

- MOBINIL'S ADVISOR SAYS FRANCE TELECOM'S OFFER TOO LOW

Egyptian Prime Capital (CAI:PCPM), advising mobile operator Mobinil (CAI:EMOB), said that the EGP245 (USD44.8/EUR31.2) per share offer by France Telecom (EPA:FTE) is way too low, as the Mobinil shares are worth EGP283 to EGP337.

Status: Bidding

- SIEMENS NEGOTIATES HEARING-AID UNIT SALE

German electronics giant Siemens (ETR:SIE) is currently in talks with potential buyers over the sale of its hearing-aid business.

Status: Speculation

- REED ELSEVIER NEGOTIATES SALE OF TRADE MAGAZINES

Anglo-Dutch publisher Reed Elsevier (AMS:REN, LON:REL) is in advanced negotiations to dispose of some of its trade magazines and will close others in the next few months.

Status: Talks

- FRANCE TELECOM SAYS WILL NOT UP BID FOR EGYPT'S MOBINIL

France Telecom (EPA:FTE) said it will not sweeten its EGP245 (USD45/EUR31.3) per share offer for the outstanding stock of Egypt's mobile operator Mobinil (CAI:EMOB).

Status: Bidding

- UK TELEREAL PUTS UP FOR SALE 55 UK PROPERTIES

UK property investor Telereal Trillium said it is selling 55 commercial properties in the UK worth some GBP475m (USD760.4m/EUR530m).

Status: Auction

- US VANITY EVENTS TARGETS ACQUISITIONS TO BOOST PORTFOLIO, SHAREHOLDER VALUE

US development-stage firm Vanity Events Holding said it was looking at potential acquisition opportunities to expand its portfolio and build shareholder value.

Status: Bidding

- ORASCOM APPEALS IN COURT APPROVAL OF FRANCE TELECOM'S BID Egyptian mobile operator Orascom Telecom (CAI:ORTE), or OTH, said it has appealed the regulatory approval of a bid by France Telecom (EPA:FTE) to acquire OTH's stake in mobile operator Mobinil (CAI:EMOB).

Status: Bidding

- BRAGANZA STARTS MANDATORY TAKEOVER BID FOR SWEDISH TICKET Norway's investment company Braganza, the major owner of Swedish travel agency Ticket Travel Group (STO:TICK), said Tuesday it has initiated a mandatory takeover bid to buy out the agency for SEK235m (USD33.2m/EUR23m).

Status: Bidding

- GERMANY'S TELE COLUMBUS TO BE SOLD TO INDEPENDENT HOLDING Germany's fourth-largest cable company Tele Columbus is being prepared to be sold to an independent holding under Luxembourg law.

Status: Speculation

- KRAFT EXTENDS TO 2 FEB DEADLINE FOR ACCEPTANCE OF CADBURY BID US food giant Kraft (NYSE:KFT) announced it will extend to 2 February the acceptance period for its takeover bid for UK confectioner Cadbury (LON:CBRY).

Status: Bidding

- US APPLE SAID TO BUY QUATTRO WIRELESS

US PC and musical player maker Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is set to unveil today the acquisition of home mobile advertising company Quattro Wireless for USD275m (EUR190.2m).

Status: Speculation

- BOSNIAN TLEKOM SRPSKE IN TALKS TO TAKE FULL OWNERSHIP OF MONTENEGRO'S M:TEL Bosnian telecommunications services provider Telekom Srpske (BANJ:TLKM-R-A), owned by Serbia's Telekom Srbija, said it is negotiating to take full control of Montenegro's mobile operator M:tel.

Status: Talks

- DUTCH SPYKER SAID TO RAISE SAAB OFFER

Dutch sportscar maker Spyker Cars (AMS:SPYKR) is set to sweeten this week its takeover bid for Swedish Saab Automobile.

Status: Bidding; Speculation

- CAJA ESPANA, CAJA DUERO RESTART DISCUSSIONS ON MERGER Spanish savings banks Caja Espana and Caja Duero resumed negotiations on their planned merger after cancelling them on 28 December.

Status: Talks

- KRAFT SAID TO SWEETEN CADBURY BID

US food giant Kraft (NYSE:KFT) intends to raise its GBP10bn (USD16.1bn/EUR11.3bn) hostile offer for UK confectioner Cadbury (LON:CBRY) in the next two weeks.

Status: Bidding; Speculation

- ITALY FERRERO SOUNDS OUT PRIVATE EQUITY FOR CADBURY BID Italian chocolate maker Ferrero is discussing a potential joint bid for UK confectioner Cadbury (LON:CBRY) with private equity firms.

Status: Bidding; Speculation

- BRAZIL ITAU UNIBANCO MULLS OVER BUYING STAKES IN UK BANKS Brazilian lender Itau Unibanco (SAO:ITUB3) intends to buy a stake in the state-held interest in either UK-based Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) or Lloyds Banking Group (LON:LLOY).

Status: Speculation

- SPANISH A&G PLANS TAKEOVERS IN 2010 AS PART OF GROWTH STRATEGY Spanish private wealth manager A&G is considering acquisitions in 2010, in line with its growth strategy.

Status: Bidding

- KRAFT CONFIDENT TO WIN EU APPROVAL FOR CADBURY BID

US food giant Kraft (NYSE:KFT) is determined to get a conditional clearance this week from the EU regulators for its GBP10bn (USD16.2bn/EUR11.21bn) hostile takeover offer for UK confectioner Cadbury (LON:CBRY).

Status: Bidding

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