Dec 10 (Reuters) – The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 2100 GMT on Monday:
** Credit check firm Experian Plc has agreed to buy South African peer Compuscan for $262.8 million, bulking up its existing African operations and giving it a foothold in a handful of other states, Experian said in a statement.
** Brazilian state-controlled power company Eletrobras sold its power distribution subsidiary Amazonas Energia at an auction, but said it will assume 13 billion reais ($3.33 billion) in debt before passing it on to the new owner. ** Fast-food group Restaurant Brands New Zealand Ltd RBD.NZ inked a deal to expand “Tex-Mex” food chain Taco Bell’s brand in New Zealand and in Australia’s New South Wales, the company said.
** Travelport Worldwide Ltd said buyout firms Siris Capital Group and Elliott Management will take it private for $4.4 billion, marking an end to an eight-month effort by Elliot to buy the travel software company.
** Nutella maker Ferrero is interested in buying Campbell Soup’s international business, which includes biscuit brand Arnott’s, two sources close to the matter said.
** Italian bank Credito Fondiario with U.S fund Elliott are close to securing up to 7.8 billion euros ($8.9 bln) in bad loans being sold by Banco BPM together with a stake in its debt recovery unit, three sources familiar with the matter said.
** Hedge fund Elliott Management Corp’s ASG Technologies Group Inc raised its offer to buy Mitek Systems Inc to $11.50 from $10 per share previously.
** Swedish technical consultancy AF has agreed to buy smaller Finnish peer Poyry for 611 million euros ($695 million) to create a leading European engineering and consulting business, AF said.
** Tivity Health Inc said on Monday it would buy diet plan developer Nutrisystem Inc for $1.4 billion in cash and stock, as it looks to expand its presence in the lucrative weight management market.
** IOOF Holdings Ltd said its top two executives would step aside while they fight an unprecedented move by the prudential regulator to have them banned from running Australia’s second-largest wealth manager.
** Oil firm Azinor Catalyst has “received a Letter of Intent for the acquisition of material non-operated interests in three exploration wells planned for 2019 on Catalyst’s Boaz, Goose and Hinson prospects,” it said.
** A spokeswoman for the German Finance Ministry declined to comment on “speculation” about a possible merger of Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank .
** Democratic Republic of Congo’s state mining company Gecamines said it would increase its stake in its Boss Mining joint venture with ENRC Africa Holdings to 49 percent after the two companies renegotiated terms.
** The chief executive of China’s Tianqi Lithium Corp said she believes investing in Chile’s lithium miner SQM will bring “long-term benefits” for both companies, despite strict conditions set for its involvement by local anti-trust regulators.
** Goldilocks Investment Company, an indirect subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Financial Group (ADFG), has increased its beneficial ownership in Dubai-listed Islamic Arab Insurance Company , known as Salama, to 14.1 percent, it said on Sunday.
(Compiled by Manogna Maddipatla and Vibhuti Sharma in Bengaluru) ((manojna.kalyani@thomsonreuters.com; within the U.S. +1 646 223 8780, outside the U.S. +91 80 6749 1692; Reuters Messaging: manojna.kalyani.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
