Jones Group on Thursday announced that it will be bought by private equity firm Sycamore Partners for $2.2 billion, including the assumption of its debt. Sycamore valued Jones Group shares at $15 apiece.

Ontario, Canada-based tech giant IBM is acquiring California, US-based bootstrapped file transfer firm Aspera to provide its clients with a file transfer tool for data from social media and various devices.

BASF SE, the largest chemicals company in Germany, is working on a bid for RWE DEA AG. DEA is the oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) unit of German electric utilities company RWE AG.

Ultra-deepwater excavation specialist Marin confirmed is to acquire Aberdeen, Scotland-based trenching solutions provider AGR Seabed Intervention for an undisclosed amount after a successful alliance between the two firms this year.

Peabody Energy and Shenhua Group formed a joint venture firm, Sino-Pacific Coal Trading Corporation Pte Ltd, to provide Shenhua with coal from the platform of Peabody.

Germany-based healthcare and agricultural products company Bayer said it will be buying Norway-based Algeta, its partner in developing a prostate cancer therapy, in a deal worth $2.9 billion, Bloomberg reported.

Hedge fund Clinton Group in a regulatory filing on Wednesday said that it is exploring an acquisition of California-based teen apparel retailer Wet Seal. The activist investor seeks to buy out Wet Seal's equity in a privatization deal.

Madrid, Spain-based global travel distribution system Amadeus bought hotel IT solutions provider Newmarket International Inc for $500 million in a bid to conquer the hospitality space.

Venezuelan bank Banesco has won the bid for a controlling stake in Spanish state-rescued lender NCG Banco through its €1 billion offer. Banesco bet out five other rivals in the auction.

Qatar's Al Jazeera is mulling over a bid for a controlling stake Turkish pay-TV company Digiturk. Digiturk is an Istanbul-based satellite TV provider with an enterprise value of $1.5 billion.