(Adds Murray & Roberts, Ryanair, JBS; Updates Bayer, Great Wall
Motor Co)
Aug 22 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions
and disposals were reported by 2000 GMT on Tuesday:
** The European Commission has started an in-depth
investigation of Bayer's BAYGn.DE planned $66 billion takeover
of U.S. seeds group Monsanto MON.N , saying it was worried
about competition in various pesticide and seeds markets.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N1L83N4
** Struggling retailer Sears Holdings Corp SHLD.O said it
signed licensing deals for its Kenmore home appliances and
DieHard batteries to expand distribution of the brands outside
the United States. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N1L842G
** Singapore's biggest taxi operator, ComfortDelgro Corp Ltd
CMDG.SI , entered into exclusive talks with Uber Technologies
Inc for a potential tie-up, it said, in a move that could help
Uber in its fight with dominant ride-hailing firm Grab.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N1L83KP
** Shares in oil services group CGG GEPH.PA surged higher,
with several traders citing speculation of a bid from China's
Sinopec 600028.SS . urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nP6N1KC02C
** Malaysia's RHB Bank RHBC.KL and AMMB Holdings (AmBank)
AMMB.KL have dropped plans for a merger on grounds that both
could not arrive at mutually acceptable terms. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N1L83YG
** Meitav Dash, Israel's second-largest investment house,
pulled out of a deal to be bought out by London-based private
equity firm XIO, saying XIO had changed the terms from the
initial offer. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N1L81P6
** Murray Goulburn Co-operative, Australia's largest milk
processor, said it was considering approaches from a broad array
of suitors who were interested in acquiring the cooperative as a
whole or some of its assets. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N1L801N
** German photonics group Jenoptik JENG.DE has bought U.S.
process automation firm Five Lakes, a car industry specialist,
for an undisclosed sum, it said. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nFWN1L808I
** A group of state and private companies will invest a
total of 6.9 billion yuan ($1.04 billion) in China's COFCO
Capital, a subsidiary of state-run agribusiness COFCO Group,
according to a notice published on Monday on a state investment
platform. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N1L81TR
** Japan Tobacco Inc 2914.T said it would buy the
Philippines' No. 2 cigarette maker Mighty Corp for about $936
million, its second large deal in Southeast Asia this month as
it deepens its push into emerging markets. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N1L82C2
** South Africa's Murray & Roberts MURJ.J said it will
increase its stake in Bombela Concession, which operates a rapid
railway system in Gauteng province, to 50 percent from 17
percent for 405 million rand ($30.7 million). urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N1L83TU
** Ryanair RYA.I would be interested in bidding for the
whole of insolvent German carrier Air Berlin AB1.DE , but it
needs access to more data on the airline's finances, Chief
Executive Michael O'Leary told Reuters. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N1L84X7
** BHP Billiton BHP.AX , the world's largest miner,
reported a surge in underlying full-year profits and said it
would exit its underperforming U.S. shale oil and gas business,
pleasing disgruntled shareholders who had called for a sale.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N1L75D4
** Dalian Wanda Group said it had scrapped plans to buy Nine
Elms Square in London, the latest setback for the Chinese
conglomerate as Beijing tightens controls on overseas
investment. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N1L81JQ
** Fujitsu Ltd 6702.T is looking to offload its mobile
operations as the Japanese information technology company faces
stiff competition from bigger rivals in a highly lucrative
mobile phone market, the Nikkei business daily reported.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N1L71IM
** Polish retail and wholesale group Eurocash EUR.WA said
it signed a letter of intent to buy its smaller rival Mila.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N1L80KQ
** Australia's Seven Group Holdings SVW.AX said it would
sell its Chinese mining machinery division WesTrac China to
Chinese firm Lei Shing Hong Machinery for A$540 million ($428
million). urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N1L8009
** KuangChi Science Ltd 0439.HK said its parent has
invested 4 billion yuan ($600.3 million) in a 1.88 percent stake
in China United Network Communications Ltd 600050.SS , becoming
one of its strategic investors under a mixed ownership reform
plan. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N1L807M
** Brazil floated a proposal to cede control of the
country's biggest power utility, Eletrobras, in the boldest
privatization yet by a government struggling to close a record
budget deficit, sending Eletrobras' shares soaring in
after-market trading. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N1L71EA
** A Brazilian federal court temporarily halted Petróleo
Brasileiro SA's PBR.N sale of a 50 percent stake in thermal
power station operator TermoBahia to France's Total SA TOTF.PA
following a lawsuit. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N1L71K9
** Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor Co Ltd 601633.SS
reiterated its interest in Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV
FCHA.MI , FCAU.N , but said it had not held talks or signed a
deal with executives at the Italian-American
automaker. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N1L8450
** The world's largest meatpacker, JBS SA JBSS3.SA , said
it will invest 30 million reais ($9.5 million) to produce
fertilizers in Brazil, a country that currently imports most of
the fertilizers used by its farmers. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N1L80UV
(Compiled by Tamara Mathias and Manas Mishra in Bengaluru)
((Tamara.Mathias@thomsonreuters.com; within U.S. +1 646 223
8780, outside U.S. +91 806749 9537; Reuters Messaging:
tamara.mathias.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
Keywords: DEALS DAY/