Market Chatter -- Corporate finance press digest

LONDON, May 9 (Reuters) - The following corporate finance-related stories involving U.S. and European companies were reported by media on Friday:

* Privately held German manufacturer Bosch [ROBG.UL] is to make acquisitions as the financial crisis makes companies cheaper, its chief executive was quoted as saying in the Financial Times.

The company is to spend "far more" than the 800 million euros ($1.23 billion) it spent on M&A last year to expand its machine and consumer goods arms and expand in Asia, Franz Fehrenbach told the paper.

* Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE) could draw on more than 20 billion euros to fund acquisition-led growth without endangering its investment-grade rating, the FT quoted the firm's CEO Rene Obermann as saying.

He said the top priority for its M&A programme was to consolidate its existing mobile phone markets or move into adjacent ones, the FT reported.

* Gala Coral, the UK bookmaker, casino and bingo firm, has held exploratory talks with Britain's leading racecourses over a potential bid of at least 300 million pounds ($585.9 million) for the Tote, the state-owned bookmaker, The Daily Telegraph reported, citing no sources.

* Private equity firms Phoenix Equity Partners and Golden Gate Capital are the two bidders in the final round of the auction for UK retailer LK Bennett, The Daily Telegraph reported.

But offers have been pitched below the 100 million pounds to 150 million pounds that the retailer's owner Linda Bennett had been hoping for, it reported, citing no sources.

(Compiled by Simon Challis; Editing by Rory Channing)