UPDATE 3-Deals of the day -- mergers and acquisitions
(Adds Mitiska, Levi Strauss, Colonial and others)
May 27 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals involving European, U.S. and Asian companies were reported by 2000 GMT on Wednesday. (For Reuters columns on deals, click on [DEALTALK/])
** The German government has decided to give Fiat (FIA.MI) and Magna (MGa.TO) preferred bidder status for Opel and grant them access to the carmaker's books, according to a report in German daily Die Welt. The newspaper, citing sources close to talks taking place in the German Chancellery on Wednesday, said the two other bidders RHJ International (RHJI.BR) and China's BAIC, would be allowed to further develop their offers.
To read more, please double click on [ID:nBEB002397]
** SumTotal Systems Inc SUMT.O agreed to be acquired by Vista Equity Partners for $160 million and terminated its previous deal with Accel-KKR, putting an end to a long-drawn bidding war between the two private equity firms. [ID:nBNG12625]
** A South Korean buyout firm is set to buy 31.7 percent of a credit-card processing company from two banks, including a unit of Standard Chartered (STAN.L), for an undisclosed sum, a regulatory official said. [ID:nSEO268427]
** Russian gas firm Novatek (NVTK.MM) will make a $650 million acquisition of gas firm Yamal LNG in cash, its chief financial officer said on Wednesday, denying media reports it may make the payment in its shares. [ID:nL0119368]
** Russian businessmen Gennady Timchenko revealed that he has built up an 18 percent stake in gas firm Novatek (NVTK.MM) as he seeks to diversify his oil wealth into other industries. [ID:nLR970262]
** Levi Strauss & Co [LEVST.UL] said it agreed to buy the operating rights to 73 Levi's and Dockers Outlet stores operated by Anchor Blue Retail Group Inc, which is filing for bankruptcy. [ID:nN27252894]
** Insurer Old Mutual (OML.L) has pulled out of buying a stake in ABN Amro Teda Fund Management, incurring an exit fee of 45 million euros ($63 million). [ID:nLR664138]
** The chief executive of Belgian holding company Mitiska MISK.BR has captured 95.02 percent of Mitiska's share capital in a takeover bid he launched through his company Boston NV. [ID:nLR246281]
** Spanish investor Alicia Koplowitz has reduced her stake in Barcelona-based property firm Colonial (COL.MC) to 2.9 percent from 4.9 percent, according to data from stock market regulator CNMV. [ID: nLR421864]
** Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ.AX) moved into pole position to buy Royal Bank of Scotland's (RBS.L) Asian assets, raising almost $2 billion as interest from two rival suitors cooled. [ID:nSYD20494]
** Egypt's market regulator has rejected France Telecom's (FT) bid for outstanding shares in mobile phone firm Mobinil (EMOB.CA), over which FT and the other main shareholder Orascom Telecom (OT) are in dispute. [ID:nLR598228]
** Italian designer Roberto Cavalli, who has been in talks with private equity fund Clessidra, is no longer sure about selling a stake in his fashion house and expects 2009 turnover to be down 12 to 13 percent, he told an Italian newspaper in an interview published on Wednesday. [ID:nLR707906]
** British private-equity group Permira PERM.UL said it had sold its 14 percent stake in soft drink maker Britvic (BVIC.L). [ID:nLR727612]
** Helicopter services company Bristow Group Inc (BRS.N) said it acquired a 42.5 percent stake in Lider Aviacao Holding S.A for $174 million, helping it to expand its helicopter operations in Brazil. [ID:nBNG6832]
** The Polish government poured cold water on a report that Deutsche Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) was in talks to buy a stake in Polish airline LOT [LOT.UL] from the government in Warsaw. [ID:nLR949794]
** German utility RWE (RWEG.DE) is in talks with three companies to pick a partner for its 49 percent stake in Bulgaria's Belene nuclear power project, Bulgaria's state-owned utility NEK said. [ID:nLR680969]
** Buyers Protection Group Inc said it agreed to buy two units of bankrupt LandAmerica Financial Group Inc LFGRQ.PK for an undisclosed price. [ID:nBNG163299] (Compiled by Tina Kwan in Singapore; Ashutosh Joshi and Archana Shankar in Bangalore)
