(Adds Vodafone , DONG Energy, Sarawak Shell, Nortek)
Aug 20 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions
and disposals were reported by 2000 GMT on Thursday:
** Canada's Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc (NYSE:VRX)
VRX.TO said it would buy privately owned Sprout
Pharmaceuticals, whose drug became the first approved treatment
this week for low sexual desire in women, for about $1 billion
plus milestone payments. ID:nL3N10V1UU
** British online gambling company GVC Holdings Plc GVC.L
may increase its offer for rival Bwin.party Digital
Entertainment Plc BPTY.L for a third time, a source close to
GVC said on Thursday. ID:nL1N10V0GL
** Depomed Inc DEPO.O rejected Horizon Pharma Plc's
HZNP.O takeover bid for the third time, reiterating that the
offer undervalued the company. ID:nL3N10U5K9
** United Technologies Corp (NYSE:UTX) UTX.N is in talks to buy
residential products maker Nortek Inc NTK.O , the Wall Street
Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
ID:nL3N10V57D
** Royal Dutch Shell Plc RDSa.L unit Sarawak Shell Bhd has
transferred its 50 percent stake as operator of the MLNG Dua
liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant to Malaysian state oil firm
Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) PETR.UL , Petronas said.
ID:nL3N10V54M
** DONG Energy A/S IPO-DONG.CO and ScottishPower
Renewables on Thursday sold 269 million pounds ($421.90 million)
worth of transmission assets in an offshore UK wind farm to a
consortium of Macquarie Corporate Holdings and 3i (LONDON:III) Infrastructure
Plc 3IN.L , a statement said. ID:nL8N0ZO3DE
** The owners of the Weather Channel have hired Morgan
Stanley and PJT Partners Inc to explore a sale, Bloomberg
reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
** Ageas AGES.BR has short-listed bidders for its Hong
Kong life insurance business to firms including Hong Kong
billionaire Richard Li's FWD Group and Fosun International Ltd
0656.HK , Bloomberg reported. ID:nL3N10V12S
** The Bank of Portugal is in exclusive talks with China's
Anbang Insurance Group Co on the sale of state-rescued Novo
Banco, leaving two other bidders on the sidelines, sources said.
ID:nL5N10V27F
** Banque Centrale Populaire (BCP) BCP.CS , one of
Morocco's biggest lenders, has taken control of Niger's Banque
Internationale pour l'Afrique (BIA-Niger), an official from the
Moroccan bank said on Thursday. ID:nL5N10V2KW
** British America Tobacco Plc BATS.L on Thursday
sweetened an offer for the 24.7 percent stake it does not
already own in Souza Cruz SA CRUZ3.SA , Brazil's largest
cigarette maker, to woo reluctant shareholders. ID:nL1N10V0JJ
** Solera Holdings Inc SLH.N , which provides technology
services to insurance companies, is in advanced talks to sell
itself to private equity firms, according to a person familiar
with the matter. ID:nL1N10U244
** Slovak Economy Minister Vazil Hudak said China's CNNC is
expected to place a binding bid for Enel's ENEI.MI stake in
Slovak electricity producer Slovenske Elektrarne by the end of
August. ID:nP7N10M00M
** Evolution Mining EVN.AX launched a counter bid for
fellow Australian miner Phoenix Gold PXG.AX , setting up a
battle with China's biggest gold producer. ID:nL3N10V298
** The Australian unit of JBS SA, the world's largest
meatpacker, agreed on Thursday to offer to buy at least 50.1
percent of outstanding shares in New Zealand technology firm
Scott Technology Ltd SCT.NZ for NZ$1.39 ($0.9191) a share.
ID:nL1N10V0M2
** Mexican private-equity fund Finaccess Capital agreed to
buy a 32 percent stake in Poland's restaurant chain Amrest
EATP.WA from Warburg Pincus WP.UL , Amrest said.
ID:nL5N10V0LS
** Vodafone Group Plc VOD.L has scrapped its interest in
obtaining a management contract to run one of Lebanon's two
state-owned mobile operators, the UK-based company said on
Thursday. ID:nL5N10V3KJ
** The New York Daily News is no longer for sale, according
to a memo sent to employees by the newspaper's owner, Mort
Zuckerman, on Thursday. ID:nL1N10V15C
($1 = 0.6407 pounds)
($1 = 1.5124 New Zealand dollars)