Search Here

The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 1000 GMT on Monday:

** Commodities trader Glencore laid out its raised $36 billion all-share bid for Xstrata on Monday, warning it would not improve the terms again after making concessions to recalcitrant shareholders.

** BP is in talks to sell some of its Gulf of Mexico oil fields to Plains Exploration & Production Co for roughly $7 billion, a person familiar with the matter said on Sunday, as the U.K. oil firm looks to raise money to pay for damages from the 2010 oil spill.

** Thai Beverage PCL is seeking a loan of around S$9 billion ($7.3 billion) to back a potential takeover of Fraser and Neave Ltd in a move that could derail Heineken NV's bid for the group's key beer business Asia Pacific Breweries Ltd (APB).

** Hess Corp agreed to sell its 2.72 percent stake in the large Azeri, Chirag and Guneshli (ACG) group of oil fields in Azerbaijan as well as its 2.36 percent stake in an associated pipeline to India's ONGC for $1 billion.

** BHP Billiton Ltd said it sold its 37 per cent non-operated interest in Richards Bay Minerals (rbm) to Rio Tinto for $1.91 billion.

** Goldman Sachs and private equity firm CVC Capital Partners Ltd have proposed a debt-for-equity swap for CVC's Australian television network Nine, two sources said on Monday, a deal that would wipe out CVC's equity and pass control to its lenders.

** Infosys Ltd has agreed to buy Zurich-based Lodestone Holding AG in a deal valued at 330 million Swiss francs ($349.58 million).

** Google Inc has bought startup VirusTotal, picking up a fledgling but widely used cybersecurity player in a move that could beef up protection for its Internet services.

** Transocean Ltd , owner of the world's largest offshore drilling fleet, said it will sell 38 shallow-water drilling rigs to Shelf Drilling International Holdings Ltd for about $855 million in cash.

** Debt-strapped conglomerate IDB Group plans to sell Maariv, one of Israel's largest tabloid newspapers, for 85 million shekels ($21 million), Maariv said.

** China's Haier Group, parent of Carlyle-backed Haier Electronics, is looking at a takeover of New Zealand's Fisher and Paykel Appliances Ltd, in a deal that could value the dishwasher and washing machine maker at some $600 million.

** Italian group Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena's sale of a 60 percent stake in Biverbanca is being delayed by a row over Biverbanca's holding in the Bank of Italy, Monte dei Paschi said on Monday.

** The board of Russian mobile phone operator MegaFon , which is preparing a London initial public offering, has approved a plan to buy a stake in cellphone retailer Euroset, business daily Vedomosti reported on Monday.

** Private equity firm Advent International offered shareholders of EKO Holding over 199 million zlotys ($62 million) for the Polish chain of small grocery stores, a broker running the deal said on Monday.

** Egyptian investment authority GAFI has approved the method Orascom Construction plans to use to value its business lines before splitting them into two companies, Orascom said on Monday.

** Republic Bancorp Inc said it would buy First Commercial Bank to expand into the Minneapolis, Minnesota market.

This article is copyrighted by Reuters