2007-10-31 09:03:26 Dubai Financial confirms will raise stake in Marfin Pop Bank and MIG

ATHENS (Thomson Financial) - Dubai Financial, the holding company for the Dubai Group, said it will increase its stake in Marfin Popular Bank to 30 pct from its current 19.9 pct holding and will also up its stake in Marfin Investment Group (MIG) to 20 pct from its current 9.07 pct holding.

2007-10-31 09:01:15 Danone buy of Numico cleared by EU, subject to conditions

BRUSSELS (Thomson Financial) - The European Commission said it has cleared, subject to conditions, the proposed acquisition by the Groupe Danone SA of the Dutch company Royal Numico NV.

2007-10-31 08:59:54 Garmin to lodge Tele Atlas regulatory filings this week, launch offer soon after

AMSTERDAM (Thomson Financial) - Garmin Ltd said it expects to lodge regulatory filings with Dutch authorities later this week for its intended takeover offer for Tele Atlas NV and plans to launch the public tender period shortly after.

2007-10-31 08:38:05 Carige interested in UniCredit branches in southern Italy; eyes North Africa

MILAN (Thomson Financial) - Banca Carige is interested in buying UniCredit branches in southern Italy and in the Lazio region, chairman Giovanni Berneschi said in an interview with the Finanza & Mercati daily.

2007-10-31 08:15:10 Tele Atlas to review terms of Garmin offer; inform market as soon as possible

AMSTERDAM (Thomson Financial) - Tele Atlas NV said it will review the terms and conditions of the announced takeover offer from Garmin Ltd and further steps and will inform the market as soon as reasonably possible.

2007-10-31 08:12:12 Czech finance minister welcomes bidders for CSA

PRAGUE (Thomson Financial) - The Czech Republic's finance minister has welcomed all bidders for the state-run airline CSA but said the country is not in any concrete talks, a day after Russia's Aeroflot confirmed its interest.

2007-10-31 08:12:07 Network Applications to double sales in 3 years through organic growth - CEO

FRANKFURT (Thomson Financial) - Network Appliance Inc plans to double its sales in the coming three years through organic growth, chief executive Dan Warmenhoven told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

2007-10-31 08:07:26 PIK Group buys a site in the Moscow region for 340 mln usd development

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Russian real estate developer PIK Group said it has bought a new site in the Moscow region for commercial development, with an estimated budget of 340 mln usd for the project, including land acquisition and development costs.

2007-10-31 08:03:14 Garmin makes 24.5 eur/share cash offer for Tele Atlas, outbidding TomTom

AMSTERDAM (Thomson Financial) - Garmin Ltd has announced an indicative 24.5 eur per share cash offer for all of Tele Atlas NV's outstanding shares.

2007-10-31 08:03:07 Japan's Mitsubishi Corp to buy controlling stake in Kentucky Fried Chicken Japan

TOKYO (Thomson Financial) - Mitsubishi Corp, Japan's largest trading house, said Wednesday it aims to gain control of Kentucky Fried Chicken Japan by lifting its stake to at least 62 percent from 31 percent.

2007-10-31 08:02:51 BPM targets commercial deals with Credit Mutuel, BPER, not merger - report

MILAN (Thomson Financial) - Banca Popolare di Milano is targeting only commercial deals, and not a merger agreement, with its potential partners Credit Mutuel and Banca Popolare dell'Emilia Romagna, daily Finanza & Mercati said citing sources close to BPM.

2007-10-31 07:32:53 Binckbank buys Rabo's Alex for 390 mln eur; announces rights issue

AMSTERDAM (Thomson Financial) - Binckbank NV said it will buy Rabobank's investment banking unit, Alex Beleggersbank, for 390 mln eur cash and will fund the acquisition through a 385 mln eur rights issue and with cash reserves.

2007-10-31 07:29:48 La Caixa's Criteria targets 20 pct in merged BCP-BPI group

MADDRID (Thomson Financial) - Saving bank La Caixa's recently-listed industrial holding Criteria is studying the acquisition of 20 pct of the new group to be created from the planned merger of Banco BPI and Banco Comercial Portugues, El Pais reported, citing Criteria.

2007-10-31 07:26:52 Publicis to acquire Indian public relations firm Hanmer

PARIS (Thomson Financial) - France's Publicis Groupe said it will acquire leading Indian public relations consultancy Hanmer & Partners.

2007-10-31 07:19:39 PIK Group buys site in Moscow region for 340 mln usd development

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Russian real estate developer PIK Group said it has bought a new site in the Moscow region for commercial development, with an estimated budget of 340 mln usd for the project, including land acquisition and development costs.

2007-10-31 07:15:19 German gov't to force foreign investors to notify of German stake buys - report

FRANKFURT (Thomson Financial) - The German government plans to force foreign investors to notify authorities when they purchase major stakes in German companies, Frankfurter Allgmeine Zeitung reported, citing a draft of the new regulation.

2007-10-31 07:11:13 Binckbank buys Rabobank's Alex for 390 mln eur partly funded by rights issue

AMSTERDAM (Thomson Financial) - Binckbank NV said it will acquire Rabobank's investment banking unit Alex Beleggersbank for 390 mln eur in cash, funding the acquisition via a 385 mln eur rights issue and cash reserves.

2007-10-31 07:10:06 Macquarie raises takeover offer for Techem to 60 eur per share

FRANKFURT (Thomson Financial) - Macquarie Bank PLC's Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund II said it raised its takeover offer for Techem AG to 60 eur per share from 58 eur.

2007-10-31 07:09:13 Mapfre 9 mths net rises 10.6 pct to 505.2 mln eur, above forecasts

MADRID (Thomson Financial) - Mapfre SA said net profit rose 10.6 pct to 505.2 mln eur in the nine months to Sept 30 from 456.6 mln a year earlier, above analyst forecasts for 494-502 mln.

2007-10-31 07:04:10 BPI board willing to start talks leading to BCP merger

LISBON (Thomson Financial) - Banco BPI's executive board has reiterated the merger proposal presented to larger rival Banco Comercial Portugues last week and said it is willing to start talks leading to an agreement on a merger project between the two banks, according to a letter sent to BCP's board and posted on the web site of stock market regulator CMVM.

2007-10-31 06:54:53 Zurich Financial to acquire German car warranty insurer Real Garant Versicherung

ZURICH (Thomson Financial) - Zurich Financial Services Group said its subsidiary Zurich Beteiligungs-AG has signed an agreement to acquire car warranty insurer Real Garant Versicherung AG from Germany's ADAC-Schutzbrief Versicherungs-AG.

2007-10-31 06:46:58 Repsol YPF sells Chile petrol stations for 140 mln eur - report

MADRID (Thomson Financial) - Repsol YPF SA has sold 200 petrol stations in Chile to Columbia's Terpel for more than 140 mln eur, El Pais reported without citing its sources.

2007-10-31 06:36:15 Mapfre acquires US insurer Commerce for 1.538 bln eur

MADRID (Thomson Financial) - Mapfre said it has fully acquired US insurer Commerce Group Inc for 1.538 bln eur.

2007-10-31 06:32:36 LVMH poised to sell Omas pen business - report

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA is nearing a deal to sell its Omas Italian pen business to Hong Kong watch distributor Xinyu Hengdeli Holdings Ltd, a person close to the situation told the Wall Street Journal.

2007-10-31 06:09:15 India's Marico buys South African Enaleni's consumer division for 520 mln rupees

MUMBAI (Thomson Financial) - India's Marico Ltd said it has acquired the consumer division of South Africa-based Enaleni Pharmaceutical Ltd for 520 mln rupees.

2007-10-31 03:30:13 Philippines' RCBC acquires smaller bank for 520 million pesos

MANILA (Thomson Financial) - Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC), the Philippines' eighth-largest bank by assets, said Wednesday it is acquiring a smaller bank, Merchants Savings and Loan Association Inc, for 520 million pesos.

2007-10-31 03:01:02 Shareholders of Jakarta, Surabaya stock exchanges approve merger

JAKARTA (Thomson Financial) - Shareholders of the Jakarta and Surabaya stock exchanges have approved the merger of the two bourses effective December 1, Jakarta stock exchange president Erry Firmansyah said late Tuesday.

2007-10-31 01:11:30 Cerberus capital reviewing ACS purchase

DALLAS (AP) - A $6.2 billion buyout offer for Affiliated Computer Services Inc. has been withdrawn by private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, according to a published report.

2007-10-31 00:44:52 Cheung Kong Infrastructure to sell 50 pct of Stanley Power to Hong Kong Electric

HONG KONG (XFN-ASIA) - Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings (CKI) said it will sell a 50 pct stake in Stanley Power Inc, a unit of Canada-based TransAlta Power, to Hongkong Electric Holdings for 12.18 mln hkd.

2007-10-30 23:46:35 Report: Cerberus withdraws $6.2B offer for Affiliated Computer Services

SAN FRANCISCO (Thomson Financial) - Cerberus Capital Management officially withdrew its $6.2 billion offer for Affiliated Computer Services Inc., the Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site late Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.