M&A

24 November, 2009

UPDATE 2-Market Chatter -- Corporate finance press digest

(Adds Dexia, PPR)

BANGALORE, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The following corporate finance-related stories were reported by media on Tuesday:

* German carmaker Daimler (DAIGn.DE) may buy an additional 15 percent stake in Kamaz (KMAZ.MM) from Troika Dialog to get a blocking stake in the loss-making Russian truckmaker, Vedomosti paper reported on Tuesday. [ID:nGEE5AN04L]

* Private equity (PE) firm General Atlantic is in advanced talks to buy 30-40 percent stake in drug maker Strides Arcolab's (STAR.BO) injectables business for about $100 million, the Economic Times said on Tuesday citing banking and PE sources familiar with the deal. [ID:nBOM535481]

* French retail and luxury group PPR (PRTP.PA) wants to sell its European retail divisions "the sooner, the better", the Wall Street Journal quoted the group's chief executive as saying in its Tuesday edition. [ID:nGEE5AN05Y]

* The European Commission wants Belgian-French financial services group Dexia (DEXI.BR) to shed or divest foreign business in return for receiving state aid, Belgian newspaper De Standaard reported on Tuesday. [ID:nGEE5AN06W]

* British media and events group Informa (INF.L) has held early stage talks with its rival Springer Science and Business Media over buying the German academic publisher, the Financial Times said. [ID:nGEE5AM2PI]

* Marsh & McLennan (MMC.N) (MMC.N), the second-largest global insurance broker by assets, is exploring a deal to buy part of HSBC's (HSBA.L) insurance business, the Daily Telegraph reported. [ID:nGEE5AN009]

* Tata Motors (TAMO.BO), India's largest commercial vehicles maker, is looking at buying private equity firm Actis' stake in truck and bus maker Swaraj Mazda (SWRJ.BO), the Economic Times reported on Tuesday. [ID:nBOM487175]

* Spain's Cosmen family, National Express's (NEX.L) biggest shareholder, has increased its shareholding ahead of the transport group's rights issue meeting later this month, the Financial Times said. [ID:nGEE5AN001]

* Baosteel Group has completed its acquisition of a 15 percent stake in Australian iron ore explorer Aquila Resources (AQA.AX), the Shanghai Securities News reported on Tuesday. [ID:nSHA291028] (Compiled by Purwa Naveen Raman in Bangalore; editing by Simon Jessop) ((purwa.naveen@thomsonreuters.com; +91 80 4135 5800; Reuters Messaging: purwa.naveen.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

Source: http://www.reuters.com