UPDATE 3-Deals of the day -- mergers and acquisitions

(Adds Eramet and others; Updates CV Therapeutics)

March 12 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals involving European, U.S. and Asian companies were reported by 2000 GMT on Thursday.

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

** Roche Holding AG (ROG.VX) has struck a deal with Genentech Inc DNA.N to buy all outstanding shares for $46.8 billion, or $95 each, ending a long pursuit of the U.S. biotech group and its lucrative cancer drugs.

To read more, please double click on [ID:nLC266887]

** Gilead Sciences Inc (GILD.O) said it has stepped in to acquire CV Therapeutics Inc CVTX.O for about $1.4 billion, rescuing the company from a hostile bid from Japan's Astellas Pharma Inc (4503.T) [ID:nN12351289]

** British oil and gas company Valiant Petroleum Plc (VPP.L) said it agreed to buy Nor Energy (UK) Ltd, a unit of privately held Norwegian firm Nor Energy AS, raising its stake in the Causeway Field in UK North Sea to 24.5 percent. [ID:nBNG445212]

** French metals group Eramet (ERMT.PA) said it had agreed to raise its stake in Norway's Eralloys, previously known as Tinfos, to 100 percent from 56 percent after dropping the deal in November due to market conditions. [ID:nLC44341]

** The French government is mulling opening the share capital of Areva (CEPFi.PA) to Middle Eastern investment funds with a view to reinforcing its political influence and the nuclear group's prospects in the region. [ID:nLC633001]

** Thermal imaging and infra-red camera maker FLIR Systems Inc (FLIR.O) said it is not putting itself up for sale, a day after its rival Axsys Technologies (AXYS.O) confirmed it was evaluating a possible sale. [ID:nWNAB3462]

** Private equity investor Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) [KKR.UL] is examining a bid for the drugs wholesale business Phoenix which was owned by the late Adolf Merckle, according to a source with knowledge of the matter. [ID:nLC626699]

** Slovenia's telecoms provider Telekom Slovenia (TLSG.LJ) said it submitted a binding bid for Cosmofon, the second largest mobile phone operator in Macedonia. [ID:nLC583836]

** The French government is studying the sale of Areva-owned (CEPFi.PA) stakes and a possible capital increase to finance the state-owned nuclear reactor group's investment plans, an economy ministry source said. [ID:nWEA2255]

** Japanese non-life insurers Sompo Japan Insurance (8755.T) and NipponKoa Insurance (8754.T) plan to merge, an industry source said, in the second deal in less than two months in a sector struggling with slumping demand and a dwindling, ageing population. [ID:nT322994]

** Japan's Seiko Epson Corp (6724.T) said it would start talks with Sony Corp (6758.T) on an alliance in the small- to mid-size LCD display business, including a possible transfer of some of Seiko Epson's LCD assets to Sony. The companies said they aim to agree on a deal by June. [ID:nTFA004328]

** Asahi Breweries (2502.T), Japan's largest beer maker, said it has agreed to buy the Australian beverage business of British confectionary maker Cadbury Plc (CBRY.L) for A$1.185 billion ($769.5 million). [ID:nT88342] (Compiled by Tina Kwan in Singapore; Archana Shankar and R. Manikandan in Bangalore)