Italian life and non-life insurance company Generali bought a 40% stake in Generali Asia for EUR40 million. Generali Asia is a joint venture of Generali and Banca della Svizzera Italiana in Switzerland.
Europe
ECB reduces amount of banks' crisis loan payments but urges them to pay next week
The European Central Bank's attempt to reduce the excess liquidity levels of banks in the financial system had prompted the central bank to call on banks it had loaned to repay its debts at a reduced rate.
Siem, Topcon beat Hexagon's bid for Veripos
Siem Industries and Topcon Corporation raised the bid for Norwegian satellite positioning system firm Veripos. Siem and Topcon offered NOK30 in cash for each Veripos share.
Gates urges Norway to place investments from USD800 billion fund to Africa, Asian projects
Philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates suggested the state of Norway should invest a portion of its massive USD800 billion wealth fund to countries in Asia and Africa.
Paulson & Co increases holding in eye of a potential Vodafone merger
As preparations regarding a potential merger between Vodafone Group Plc and AT&T Inc was happening, Paulson & Co said in its regulatory filing that it had increased its ownership stake in the phone company.
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The French government hoped to help fund new state investments and boost national economy by divesting 3.5% of its stake in jet engine maker Safran.
United Kingdom-based Apax Partners aimed to become one of the largest equity holders of textbook publishing company Cengage Learning Inc after the latter exits from bankruptcy.
Ryan Corporation UK acquired a site in Canary Wharf, a business district in London, for GBP 100 million. The property company owned by Tom Ryan aimed to build a residential building that will tower over the highest building on the site.
Coupon website LivingSocial offered a 25% discount on selected deals for its US and Canadian clients following a rare 40-hour outage that crippled its website, apps, and merchant center.
Social media giant Twitter Inc announced it will introduce self-service advertisements for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom starting this week.
A Financial Times report said private equity firm Motion Equity Partners was talking with Boston-based investment firm HarbourVest Partners to get new capital and end its status as a "zombie" buyout firm.
Pandora's two main shareholders will offer about 20 million of its existing shares, representing 15.4 percent of the share capital, to institutional investors, the Danish jewellery maker said on Wednesday.
Swiss private equity firm Partners Group AG raised USD800 million for its leveraged debt fund. The company expects the fund to yield more quickly as it anticipates a ramp-up in investments next year.
The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported on Thursday including Sigma Alimentos, Fastjet, Rostelecom, DNB, Caixabank, Cyfrowy Polsat, America Movil, Alitalia, Telecom Italia.
