** Orange and MasMovil's $19 billion Spanish telecoms merger faces
a full-scale EU antitrust investigation, three people familiar with the matter
said, in a test of whether EU regulators might ease up on deals in the sector.
** NYSE-owner Intercontinental Exchange Inc (ICE) and Black Knight
Inc agreed to sell one of the mortgage data vendor's units to quell
antitrust concerns, but said they would take the battle to court to save the
deal, if necessary.
** An investor consortium including Blackstone and Thomson Reuters , the parent company of Reuters News, is selling 1.7 billion pounds
($2.01 billion) worth of shares in the London Stock Exchange Group to
trim its joint stake.
** DXC Technology said it had terminated discussions regarding a
potential takeover of the IT services company, citing the unnamed buyer's
challenges in raising necessary capital amid current market conditions.
** Germany's Economy Ministry has cleared the sale of drinks company
Brandenburger Urstromquelle to Austria-based Red Bull despite the buyer's Hong
Kong connection, German business daily Handelsblatt reported.
** Picturehouse founder Lyn Goleby has held talks with London-based Vue
International, a reported bidder for Cineworld , about buying back the
chain that was sold to the bankrupt cinema operator in 2012, Sky News said.
** Canada's Ritchie Bros Auctioneers said it would pay a
special dividend of $1.08 per share to its investors if they back its $7-billion
deal for U.S. auto retailer IAA Inc .
** John Wood Group said it may reject a sweetened 1.64 billion pound
($1.98 billion) buyout proposal from private-equity firm Apollo Global
Management Inc , as it still undervalued the British oilfield services
and engineering company.
** South Korean tech group Kakao launched a 1.25 trillion won ($962 million)
offer for K-pop agency SM Entertainment , escalating a takeover
battle with BTS manager HYBE, whose proposal did not win enough support from SM
investors.
** The chief executive of Macquarie Group Ltd dismissed as
speculation reports the Australian investment bank was exploring a takeover bid
of about 5 billion pounds ($6 billion) for British money manager M&G .
** South Africa's Sibanye-Stillwater said it now controlled nearly
71% stake in New Century Resources , two weeks after launching an
unsolicited takeover bid as it lost confidence in the Australian zinc miner's
board.
** Australian funeral services provider InvoCare Ltd said it
received a non-binding takeover offer from U.S. private equity firm TPG Global
for A$1.81 billion ($1.22 billion), sending its shares 39.1% higher.
** Paramount Global is mulling the possible sale of a majority
stake in BET Media Group, which includes the BET cable network, BET Studios and
VH1, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
** WW International Inc , known as WeightWatchers, said on Monday it
is acquiring subscription telehealth platform Sequence, moving the weight-loss
program operator into the obesity drug prescription business.
** The U.S. Justice Department filed suit to stop JetBlue Airways Corp from buying Spirit Airlines Inc , saying the planned $3.8
billion merger "will lead to higher fares and fewer seats, harming millions of
consumers on hundreds of routes."
** Altria Group Inc said on Monday it would buy startup NJOY Holdings
Inc for about $2.75 billion in cash, in a fresh bet by the Marlboro maker on the
e-cigarette market after losing billions through its investment in Juul. (Compiled by Rajarshi Roy, Khushi Mandowara, Anirban Chakraborti and Arshreet
Singh in Bengaluru)
(Adds Brandenburger Urstromquelle, Picturehouse, Ritchie Bros, DXC, LSEG,
Intercontinental Exchange, Orange; Updates JetBlue)
March 7 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and
disposals were reported by 2050 GMT on Tuesday:
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