(Adds BG Group, Brookfield, Energy from Waste, Grupo Clarin,
CMA CGM, Kuoni, Banco Popolare , HeartWare)
Jan 28 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions
and disposals were reported by 2100 GMT on Thursday:
** Alibaba (N:BABA) Group Holding Ltd BABA.N said the group would
sell its stake in Meituan, a company that delivers food and
offers deals from local businesses, to focus on its own rival
Koubei venture. BG Group BG.L shareholders overwhelmingly approved
Royal Dutch Shell's RDSa.L $52 billion takeover on Thursday,
clearing the way for the two firms to create the world's biggest
trader of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Brookfield Asset Management Inc BAMa.TO has been
exploring an acquisition in recent months of General Growth
Properties Inc (GGP) GGP.N , the U.S. mall operator with a
market value of $24 billion, according to people familiar with
the matter. Several Chinese companies are fighting over German waste
management company Energy from Waste (EEW) in a deal potentially
worth about 1.8 billion euros ($1.96 billion), several people
familiar with the matter said. Enbridge Inc ENB.TO , Canada's largest pipeline company,
said it would buy Murphy Oil (N:MUR) Corp's MUR.N Tupper Main and
Tupper West gas plants in northeastern British Columbia for
C$538 million ($382 million). Argentine media firm Grupo Clarin S.A. CLA.BA said on
Thursday its subsidiary Cablevision (N:CVC) has taken full ownership of
Nextel Communications Argentina, the country's fourth-largest
mobile telephone company. Samsung Life Insurance Co Ltd 032830.KS will buy sister
company Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's 005930.KS entire stake in
affiliate Samsung Card Co Ltd 029780.KS , South Korean online
publication Money Today reported on Thursday, as the country's
biggest conglomerate steps up move to streamline ownership.
France's CMA CGM CMACG.UL , the world's third-largest
container shipping group, will expand its presence in Iran after
signing a landmark deal on Thursday with the Islamic Republic of
Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL). Swiss travel group Kuoni KUNN.S said on Thursday
Sweden's EQT had been chosen as its favourite suitor regarding a
potential takeover offer for the Kuoni Group. Merger talks between Italian cooperative lenders Banco
Popolare BAPO.MI and Banca Popolare di Milano (BPM) PMII.MI
took a big step forward on Thursday when Rome backed a tie-up.
Medical device maker HeartWare International Inc HTWR.O
said it was ending its planned purchase of Valtech Cardio and
had agreed with investor Engaged Capital on the selection of a
new independent director for the company's board of directors.
Britain is postponing a planned sale of shares in
bailed-out Lloyds Banking Group LLOY.L due to turmoil in
global financial markets, disappointing thousands of small
investors hoping to benefit from a discounted sell-off.
French nuclear group Areva AREVA.PA plans a 5 billion
euro ($5.45 billion) capital increase to restore its finances
and said it expected the planned takeover of its reactor arm by
fellow state-owned utility EDF EDF.PA to be finalised in 2017.
KKR KKR.N said it had divested its $359 million
investment in Vietnam's Masan Consumer Corp by selling the
stakes at an undisclosed price to parent Masan Group MSN.HM .
Shareholders of ChipMOS Technologies Inc 8150.TW
approved a plan for China's state-backed Tsinghua Unigroup to
take a quarter stake in the Taiwanese chip test and packaging
company. Petróleo Brasileiro SA PETR4.SA is unaware of a
Brazilian court ruling suspending the sale of a 49 percent stake
in a natural gas distribution unit, and vowed to defend the sale
through any legal means possible. Australian port operator Qube Holdings Ltd QUB.AX said
a Chinese sovereign wealth fund was taking part in its A$8.9
billion ($6.3 billion) bid for rail giant Asciano Ltd AIO.AX ,
potentially complicating regulatory approval amid a political
backlash against Chinese investors. European Union infrastructure investment fund Marguerite
has bought a 28.97 percent stake in Latvian gas utility Latvija
Gaze GZE1R.RI from Germany's Uniper, part of E.ON EONGn.DE .
Italian gas group Snam SRG.MI is working with UniCredit
on the idea of buying a stake in Gas Connect Austria, the
pipeline unit of Austrian energy group OMV's OMVV.VI , two
sources familiar with the matter said. Axiata Group Bhd AXIA.KL , Malaysia's largest mobile
operator by market value, and Bharti Airtel Ltd BRTI.NS ,
India's largest telecom operator by subscribers, agreed to merge
their subsidiaries in Bangladesh, Axiata said.