(Adds Carlson, Avon, IBM , Cellnex and Coca-Cola)
Jan 21 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions
and disposals were reported by 2100 GMT on Thursday:
** International Business Machines (N:IBM) Corp IBM.N said on
Thursday it bought Ustream Inc, an online video streaming
service provider, to boost its cloud offerings for businesses.
Radisson hotels owner Carlson Cos Inc CARLN.UL is
exploring strategic alternatives for its hotel business,
including a sale, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
Russian state energy company Zarubezhneft has signed an
agreement with France's Total TOTF.PA to acquire a 20 percent
stake in the Kharyaga oil project from Total, Zarubezhneft said
in a statement on Thursday. British insurer Aviva AV.L said on Thursday it was
buying Canadian bank RBC's RY.TO general insurance arm for
C$582 million ($403 million) and had agreed a distribution deal,
to diversify its business in Canada. German lighting group Osram OSRn.DE is convinced that
large shareholders including Siemens SIEGn.DE will support its
new strategy of significant expansion in the general lighting
market, Chief Executive Olaf Berlien said on Thursday.
South Korean shipper Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) Co Ltd
011200.KS said on Thursday it was in talks with a special
purpose vehicle owned by local private equity firm Hahn & Co to
possibly sell its bulk shipping business. A consortium comprising Spain's Cellnex CLNX.MC and
Italian infrastructure fund F2i is the front-runner to buy 45
percent of communications tower company Inwit INWT.MI , two
sources close to the matter said on Thursday. The Austrian province of Carinthia included a sweetener
in its offer to buy back the bonds of "bad bank" Heta Asset
Resolution HAABI.UL , hoping to win over creditors and lift the
threat of insolvency hanging over it. Coca-Cola Co KO.N will invest $1 billion over four
years in its bottling and distribution operations in Argentina,
the company said on Thursday, and leave the door open to further
acquisitions in the South American country. Norwegian oil firms Statoil STL.OL and Det norske
DETNOR.OL are looking at more acquisitions after recent deals,
their chief executives told Reuters, hunting for bargains after
a plunge in energy prices. A state-backed Japanese fund is frontrunner to rescue
Sharp Corp 6753.T , ahead of a rival approach from Apple (O:AAPL)
supplier Foxconn 2317.TW , but industry insiders question
whether it can protect the group in the long term amid
cut-throat competition. Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co 2317.TW , also
known as Foxconn, has offered 625 billion yen ($5.3 billion) to
buy Sharp Corp 6753.T and has no plans to replace top
management, a gesture aimed at reassuring Japanese authorities
worried about an overseas takeover, the Wall Street Journal
reported. The chief executive of Saudi Telecom 7010.SE (STC)
believes that owning 50 percent of Kuwaiti affiliate Viva
VIVA.KW would be reasonable, he told Saudi-owned television
channel Al Arabiya on Thursday. Lithuanian energy group Lietuvos Energija LNR1L.VL
added wind power to its generation portfolio by acquiring two
wind parks in Lithuania and Estonia, the company said on
Thursday. Banco Santander's SAN.MC renewed interest in buying UK
lender Williams & Glyn IPO-WILL.L has stoked concerns it may
need to step up asset sales and even raise cash to strike a deal
some investors say it can ill afford. French drugmaker Sanofi SASY.PA is stepping up its hunt
for deals to broaden its reach in key disease areas like
oncology, immunology and multiple sclerosis after bringing a new
head of mergers and acquisitions on board this week.
Aramex ARMX.DU has acquired Fastway Couriers' New
Zealand and Australian business for NZ$125.28 million ($81
million), the Dubai-based logistics company said. A private equity-backed U.S. oil company led by former
Statoil STL.OL executives has bought 18,000 acres in rural
west Texas, the latest deal by investors snapping up land whose
value has plunged along with crude prices.