Deals of the day -- mergers and acquisitions

Feb 23 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals involving European, U.S. and Asian companies were reported by 1440 GMT on Thursday.

** Citigroup Inc plans to raise up to $2.1 billion by selling its entire stake in India's Housing Development Finance Corp on Friday, three source with direct knowledge of the deal told Reuters.

** Tesco Plc, the world's third-biggest retailer, may bid for a controlling stake valued at about $900 million in South Korean electronics retailer Hi-Mart Co Ltd, two sources with knowledge of the matter said, as the British grocer eyes growth markets to offset challenging times at home.

** The family holding company that controls Danish toymaker Lego has agreed to buy 32 percent of a German offshore wind energy project from Denmark's DONG Energy for more than $500 million, DONG said on Thursday.

** British pump and valve maker Weir Group raised its offer for Australia's Ludowici to 243 million pounds ($380.7 million), matching a rival bid by Danish engineer FLSmidth & Co, as the tussle for the mining equipment maker intensifies.

** Finnish media group Sanoma said on Thursday it has agreed to sell its 21.11 percent stake in telecommunications group DNA for 181.5 million euros ($240.32 million) to DNA's owners Finda, Oulu ICT, PHP Liiketoiminta and Osuuskunta KPY.

** Italy's Snam and Belgium's Fluxys have agreed to buy the stakes that oil and gas giant Eni holds in a series of gas assets in northern Europe for 150 million euros as the two companies press ahead with plans to create a European gas transport network.

** ING Groep NV is planning to sell its three Asian insurance joint ventures separately from its other Asia assets so that the overall sale is not held up by negotiations with partners, two sources with direct knowledge of the situation said.

** British engineering firm Bodycote said it signed a five-year contract with ZF Lenksysteme, a joint venture between Robert Bosch GmbH and ZF Friedrichshafen AG , to provide heat treatment services in China for heavy truck steering components.

** A leading shareholder in Italy's Fondiaria-SAI said on Thursday he was open to all proposals to bail out the troubled insurer, stepping up pressure on previously agreed plans to rescue the company by merging it with peer Unipol.

** Sears Holdings Corp said it reached a deal to sell 11 stores to General Growth Properties Inc and decided to separate Sears Hometown and outlets businesses and some hardware stores.