(Adds Rockwell Collins (NYSE:COL); Updates Stada, Akzo Nobel )
March 9 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 2100 GMT on Thursday:
** China's Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical 600196.SS is planning a bid for German generic drugmaker Stada STAGn.DE , already the centre of a 3.6 billion euro ($3.8 billion) takeover battle between two private equity consortia, two people close to the matter said. German drug and crop chemical maker Bayer BAYGn.DE and U.S. seeds company Monsanto (NYSE:MON) MON.N are launching asset sales worth roughly $2.5 billion as they seek regulatory clearance for their $66 billion merger, people close to the matter said. Malaysian state-owned oil company Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) PETR.UL has signed an agreement to supply liquefied natural gas to Japan's Hokkaido Electric Power Company 9509.T for 10 years. Exxon Mobil Corp (NYSE:XOM) XOM.N , the world's biggest publicly traded oil producer, has agreed to pay Italy's Eni ENI.MI $2.8 billion for a 25 percent stake in a giant Mozambique gas field to strengthen its position supplying rich Asian markets. Vietnam's state oil company Petrovietnam Oil Corp plans to sell a 35-40 percent stake to strategic investors and expects to raise at least $270 million, it said. Germany's Merck (NYSE:MRK) KGaA MRCG.DE said it was seeking a buyer for its biosimilars unit, confirming a Reuters report in October. Dutch paints and coatings maker Akzo Nobel NV AKZO.AS rejected a 21 billion euro ($22 billion) bid from larger U.S. rival PPG Industries Inc (NYSE:PPG) PPG.N on Thursday, saying instead it wanted to "unlock value" by spinning off its chemicals business. Alphabet Inc's GOOGL.O venture arm has invested in Currencycloud, a UK startup that provides technology to enable businesses to provide cross-border payments services to their customers. An investor group led by former music executive Edgar Bronfman Jr has dropped out of bidding for Time Inc TIME.N , owner of People and Sports Illustrated magazines, according to a source familiar with the matter. Shares of Yingde Gases Group Co Ltd 2168.HK climbed 2.4 percent to a near two-year high after shareholders voted for major board changes, ending a four-month battle for control of China's top industrial gases company. French dairy group Lactalis has raised the price of an offer for shares in Parmalat PLT.MI it does not already own to 3 euros per share after complaints from some investors that its previous bid undervalued the Italian dairy group. German industrial gases group Linde LING.DE said its planned merger with U.S. rival Praxair (NYSE:PX) PX.N was on track and it aimed to raise its profitability this year, lifting its shares to the top of the German blue-chip DAX .GDAXI .
talks between German industrial gases group Linde LING.DE and U.S. rival Praxair PX.N are moving speedily and constructively, Linde's chief executive said, but workers must be persuaded of the benefits of the planned $65 billion deal. Royal Dutch Shell RDSa.L has agreed to sell most of its Canadian oil sands assets for $7.25 billion to Canadian Natural CNQ.TO , the company said. Taiwan's Foxconn 2317.TW , the world's largest contract electronics maker, is not a favoured bidder for Toshiba Corp's 6502.T memory chip business due to its close ties with China, sources with direct knowledge of the deal said. Taiwan's Cathay Financial Holding Co 2882.TW is in exclusive talks to acquire the Malaysian unit of Canada's Bank of Nova Scotia BNS.TO , in a deal that could be valued at around $200 million to $300 million. Tabcorp Holdings TAH.AX plans to sell its Queensland electronic gaming machine monitoring business to address competition concerns over its proposed A$6.4 billion ($4.9 billion) takeover of rival Tatts Group TTS.AX , Australia's competition regulator said. U.S. buyout firm Advent International Corp has acquired a minority stake in Brazilian online broker Easynvest for an undisclosed sum, the companies said in a statement on Wednesday. Aircraft component maker Rockwell Collins Inc's COL.N acquisition of aircraft interior maker B/E Aerospace Inc BEAV.O has been approved by the companies' shareholders, the companies said.