Deals of the day -- mergers and acquisitions

Nov 11 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals involving European, U.S. and Asian companies were reported by 0600 GMT on Wednesday.

(For Reuters columns on deals, click on [DEALTALK/])

** Australia's competition regulator cleared Woolworths Ltd's (WOW.AX) proposed joint takeover of hardware wholesaler Danks Holdings Ltd (DKS.AX), a key plank in the supermarket chain's expansion into hardware. To read more, please double click on [ID:nSYU009032]

** Qatar Petroleum International (QPI) and Shell Eastern Petroleum Pte Ltd have sealed agreements in which QPI takes stakes in two Shell Chemicals joint ventures in Singapore, its first overseas downstream acquisition, the companies said. [ID:nSP369439]

** Australia's competition regulator has extended its review of Caltex Australia Ltd's (CTX.AX) A$300 million ($280 million) purchase of ExxonMobil Corp's (XOM.N) gas service stations to Dec. 2, Caltex said. [ID:nSYD511644]

** Swedish forest products group Sodra is one of a number of parties in talks to buy 40 percent of the equity in Gunns Ltd's (GNS.AX) stalled Bell Bay pulp mill in Tasmania, the Australian group said. [ID:nSYD471557]

** Hackett Group Inc (HCKT.O) posted lower-than-expected quarterly results, forecast a weak fourth quarter and said it acquired advisory consultancy Archstone Consulting LLC in a stock deal. [ID:nBNG468152]

** The boards of two Spanish savings banks, Caja Espana and Caja Duero, agreed to start merger talks, the latest round of a consolidation process in Spain's unlisted banking sector. [ID:nLA25283]

** Chipmaker Cavium Networks Inc (CAVM.O) agreed to acquire MontaVista Software for $50 million in cash and stock, to expand into embedded Linux support and services. [ID:nBNG388077]

** Italian bank UniCredit (CRDI.MI) said it has completed the sale of its 3.23 percent in Spain's Sabadell (SABE.MC) for 168.6 million euros ($252.5 million). [ID:nLA52751] (Compiled by Tina Kwan in Singapore)