Russian state development bank VEB's supervisory board has approved the merger of subsidiaries Globex bank and Svyaz-Bank, RIA news agency cited VEB chairman Sergey Gorkov as saying on Monday.

Munich Re would welcome a long-term investor taking a significant stake in the company as the world's largest reinsurer eyes a return to profit growth this year, its CEO told Reuters.

Italy's Unipol Group has no plans to shorten the chain of command of the country's second-biggest insurer, its Chief Executive said on Monday.

U.S. credit reporting agency TransUnion on Friday said it will buy UK consumer data provider Callcredit for 1 billion pounds ($1.4 billion) from private equity firm GTCR, expanding its operations into Europe for the first time.

Insurance Australia Group is set to sell its four Southeast Asian businesses in deals that could be valued at about $500 million, under a review of its Asian operations, three people with knowledge of the matter said.

The chief executive of top Italian insurer Generali said on Thursday he was not aware of anyone harboring ambitions to take over the group.

Italy's biggest insurer Generali has agreed to sell its Belgian operations to Bermuda-based Athora Holding for 540 million euros ($668.5 million) as part of its plans to shrink its global business and shore up capital.

Kimco Realty Corp , an owner of 492 open-air shopping centers whose share price has been slammed by e-commerce, recently sold almost two dozen properties to private investors at valuations it said were better than public prices.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc is likely to expand its consumer bank through small acquisitions, its finance chief said on Tuesday, without ruling out the idea that it might buy a traditional lender, too.

(In April 16 story, corrects Pebblebrook's existing ownership of LaSalle)