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Dec 18 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions
and disposals were reported by 2100 GMT on Friday:
** Global trading house Louis Dreyfus Commodities
AKIRAU.UL LOUDR.UL is seeking buyers for its orange juice
and fertiliser businesses in a shift to focus on higher-margin
activities, two sources said.
** The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said on Friday
it approved the $9.1 billion sale of U.S. regional cable company
Suddenlink Communications to European telecoms group Altice NV
ATCA.AS .
** Creditors of Grupo OAS OAEP.UL , the Brazilian
engineering firm under creditor protection, agreed on Friday to
sell a 24.4 percent stake in infrastructure company Invepar to
Brookfield Asset Management Inc BAMa.TO for 1.35 billion reais
($346 million).
** Agrochemicals company Syngenta AG SYNN.VX is ready to
discuss deals with anyone in the industry, including the world's
largest seed company Monsanto (N:MON) Co MON.N , its interim chief
executive John Ramsay was quoted saying in an interview on
Friday.
** The agency that acts as the U.S. government's landlord
and realtor has asked regulators in the District of Columbia to
reject the merger of utilities Exelon Corp (N:EXC) EXC.N and Pepco
Holdings Inc POM.N , unless it provides a better deal for
taxpayers, the Washington Post reported.
** Puerto Rico's debt-laden power utility, PREPA, has a
tentative agreement with its bond insurers on a restructuring of
its debt, according to two sources familiar with negotiations,
but the deal is not official and still needs approval by PREPA's
board.
** Qihoo 360 Technology Co QIHU.N said it agreed to be
acquired by a group of investors in a deal valued at about $9.3
billion, joining a long list of U.S.-listed Chinese technology
companies being taken private this year.
** The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is looking for office
supply store Staples SPLS.O to improve its offer to divest
assets to further its bid to buy rival Office Depot ODP.O , the
agency said in court on Thursday.
** Buyout firm Apollo Global Management LLC APO.N is in
advanced talks to acquire Maxim Crane Works LP, one of the
largest U.S. providers of lifting equipment, for more than $1
billion including debt, according to people familiar with the
matter.
** Singapore's DBS Group Holdings DBSM.SI and Julius Baer
BAER.VX are seen as potential bidders for Barclays BARC.L
Asian private wealth business, valued at about $600 million,
sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
** UK bank Standard Chartered STAN.L could be acquired by
a white knight as its recovery could prove to be "challenging",
according to broker CLSA, which upgraded shares of the
Asia-focused lender on that possibility.
** Canada's Bank of Nova Scotia BNS.TO is considering
selling its 49 percent stake in Thanachart Bank Pcl, Thailand's
No.2 car loan provider, after struggling to make an Asian retail
presence work, a source familiar with the plan said.
** Italy's Gruppo Gavio has paid 2.22 billion reais ($573
million) to win joint control of EcoRodovias Infraestrutura &
Logística SA ECOR3.SA , the Brazilian toll road operator whose
owner needed cash to pay debt.
** Brazilian investment bank Banco BTG Pactual SA
BBTG11.SA said on Friday it was in talks to sell a stake in
Recovery do Brasil, the biggest debt collector in Latin America.
The stake could be worth up to $439 million (1.7 billion reais)
if the sale includes the platform that Recovery uses to price
loans, said the source, who asked not to be identified.