Sources told Reuters that Silver Lake and TPG Capital LP, owners of hardware and software giant Avaya Inc, were contemplating on a sale of the company after plans for a public listing fizzled out.

Three US investment companies reportedly placed bids for the Irish properties of Lloyds Bank. Sources told Bloomberg that Lone Star Funds, Apollo Global Management and Goldman Sachs Group Inc had placed bids for the Irish properties that were put up for sale by Lloyds Banking Group.

An Italian government official said on Italian radio that Finmeccanica had agreed to exit from its controlling stake in Ansaldo Energia.

China Minmetals managing director Gu Liangmin said the company would be careful about their decision to buy the Las Bambas copper mine of Glencore-Xstrata.

Owners of drug firm Ikaria had started working with banks on the possibility of selling the company.

Industry sources told Reuters that several private firms and companies like Bloomberg News would face heavy competition in acquiring financial news provider Mergermarket.

The Wall Street Journal cited a source who said the Robinsons Retail Group of the Philippines had started testing investor demand in the company's planned USD800 million initial public offering.

Activist investor William Ackman told investors through a letter dated October 2 that he had reduced over 40% of his USD1 billion investment with nutritional supplements company Herbalife.

British insurance firm Aviva sold its US business to Athene Holding for USD 2.6 billion. Aviva Plc sold its US unit to Athene Holding for USD 2. 6 billion, fetching USD 800 million more than the initial price tag.

HSBC Holdings Plc would stand to get USD19.5 million from the sale of its two paintings by Italian painter Canaletto.