June 19 (Reuters) – The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals involving European, U.S. and Asian companies were reported by 0900 GMT on Friday.
(For Reuters columns on deals, click on [DEALTALK/])
** Russia’s LUKOIL (LKOH.MM) bought a stake in a Dutch refinery from France’s Total (TOTF.PA), gaining a foothold in northwest Europe and blocking a bid by the U.S.’s largest refiner, Valero (VLO.N), to enter the region. [ID:nLJ579651]
** China’s top offshore oil and gas producer, CNOOC Ltd (0883.HK), has hired Goldman Sachs (GS.N) to advise it on a bid for a stake in Africa-focused oil and gas firm Kosmos Energy, a source said, in a deal that may be worth about $3 billion. [ID:nHKG68766]
** Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) Chief Executive Ken Lewis was approached by three former Merrill Lynch executives this year to discuss buying back some or all of their old company, but he politely rebuffed them, the Financial Times reported on its website. [ID:nBNG451308]
** Austrian Airlines (AUA) (AUAV.VI) offered to cut its fleet to win European Commission approval for its planned takeover by Lufthansa (LHAG.DE), the head of AUA’s current owner was quoted as saying. [ID:nLJ274165]
** AIMS Financial Group, an Australian private finance group, is confident that its bid for property manager MacarthurCook Ltd (MCK.AX) will succeed, and is looking for more acquisitions, according to a top executive. [ID:nSYU006725]
** Poland’s engineering firm PBG (PBGG.WA) is in talks with smaller rival Energomotaz Poludnie EMPD.WA, amongst others, on a potential tie-up, PBG deputy chief executive said. [ID:nWSF006631]
** Japan’s Pioneer Corp (6773.T) said it will delay issuing new shares to Honda Motor (7267.T) because it is in talks with other potential additional financial partners. [ID:nT104946]
** Charterhouse agreed to buy energy research firm Wood Mackenzie from troubled rival Candover for 553 million pounds ($904.6 million) including debt, in this year’s biggest European acquisition by a private equity firm. [ID:nLJ251842]
** India will “positively” consider selling stake in state-run engineering firm Bharat Heavy Electrical Ltd (BHEL.BO), the minister of heavy industries said. [ID:nBMA003177]
** Pluspetrol Resources Corp NV said it will bid about C$400 million ($354 million) for Petro Andina Resources Inc (PAR.TO) to expand its oil and gas operations in Argentina, Colombia and Trinidad. [ID:nN18388398]
** U.S. firearms maker Smith & Wesson Holdings Corp (SWHC.O) said it would buy privately held Universal Safety Response Inc (USR) in a cash and stock deal, to enter the perimeter security market. [ID:nBNG442491]
** Private equity firm Patriarch Partners LLC said on Thursday it is buying Spiegel Brands Inc, a well-known mail order women’s apparel catalog and website, and will use the platform to sell products from other companies in its portfolio. [ID:nN18406547]
** Thursday’s scheduled auction of bankrupt housewares and jewelry retailer Fortunoff Holdings LLC’s intellectual property was delayed until next week because of a power outage, the sale’s organizer said. [ID:nN18414518] (Compiled by Antonita Madonna Devotta in Bangalore)
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