(Adds Saputo, Advent International, ProSiebenSat.1, Dockwise,
Belden, Petrobras, Mitsubishi, Hostess Brands, Scailex, Metro)
Nov 29 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions
and disposals were reported by 2100 GMT on Thursday:
** Vivendi SA is examining four non-binding offers
above 6 billion euros ($7.75 billion) for its Brazilian
broadband company GVT SA, according to a source familiar with
the situation. Preliminary bids were submitted by satellite
group DirecTV, Mexican telecom giant America Movil SAB
, and a group of private equity funds.
** Malaysian state oil company Petroliam Nasional Berhad
confirmed on Thursday that it resubmitted its bid for
Canada's Progress Energy Resources after the Canadian
government blocked the $5.2 billion deal in October.
** Canadian dairy products maker Saputo Inc and
U.S.-based Michael Foods are competing to buy Dean Foods Co's
Morningstar dairy division, people familiar with the
matter said, in a deal that could fetch between $1 billion and
$1.5 billion.
** Private equity firm Advent International said it would
not increase its 1.5 billion euro ($1.9 billion) offer for
German retailer Douglas, even though it is a way from
gaining enough shares.
** ProSiebenSat.1 is expecting two bids for its
Nordic TV channels, valued at more than 1 billion euros ($1.3
billion), five people familiar with the situation said.
The disposal could pave the way for the sale of the rest of
the German broadcaster as its private equity owners KKR
and Permira carve up the company to make it more
attractive to buyers.
** Germany's Siemens AG promised investors its
deal to buy Invensys' rail business for a hefty 1.74
billion pounds ($2.78 billion) would contribute to boosting
profits in a tough economy.
** Rival electronic trading firms Getco Holding Co and Virtu
Financial LLC have made competing bids for Knight Capital Group,
valuing the company at a minimum of $1.1 billion, as they both
eye Knight's lucrative market-making business, sources said.
Getco proposed a $1.4 billion cash-and-stock deal that would
see it merge into Knight as a public company, while Virtu
offered a minimum of $1.1 billion in cash for what would end up
a privately held firm.
** Hungary's state-owned energy firm MVM may sign a deal
with E.ON to buy the German utility's local gas
trading and storage units before the end of this year, a source
familiar with the situation told Reuters.
Hungarian newspaper Vilaggazdasag said, without naming its
sources, MVM was likely to pay closer to 800 million euros
($1.03 billion) for the units.
** Dutch maritime transport group Dockwise said
dredging firm Boskalis's takeover offer of 17.20 euros
per share, or a total of 682 million euros ($885 million), was
too low and undervalued its business.
Boskalis, the world's biggest dredger, wants to buy Dockwise
so it can expand in oil and gas services, and has already
acquired a 33 percent stake in the firm.
** Cable maker Belden Inc said it will sell its
Thermax and Raydex cable businesses to diversified manufacturer
Carlisle Cos Inc for about $265 million, including debt,
as it looks to exit the aerospace and defense markets.
** A subsidiary of Japan's Mitsubishi Corp has
bought a 40 percent stake in a $1.3 billion, 532-megawatt
thermoelectric project planned in Chile, the plant's majority
owner, AES Gener, said on Thursday without disclosing
how much the purchase cost.
** Brazil's state-controlled oil company Petrobras
plans to sell all its refineries outside of Brazil as
part of an asset-sale plan aimed at helping finance expansion at
home, a company source told Reuters on Thursday.
** Hostess Brands Inc, the bankrupt maker of Twinkies snack
cakes, received court permission to wind down its 82-year-old
business on Thursday but revealed "furious" interest in its
iconic brands from potential buyers.
** Israeli holding company Scailex Corp said on
Thursday it was in advanced talks to sell most of its stake in
Partner Communications to Saban Capital Group.
** An auction of Advance Auto Parts Inc failed to
attract bids that met its price expectations, making it unlikely
the auto parts retailer would proceed with plans to sell itself,
according to four people familiar with the matter.
** German retailer Metro is close to selling some of its
hypermarket operations in eastern Europe to French rival Auchan,
two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.
** Gold Fields, the world's fourth-largest bullion
producer, is spinning off its two oldest South African mines in
the latest sign of the country's once mighty gold industry
succumbing to declining output and soaring costs.
** Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Hitachi Ltd
are to combine their fossil-fuel power generation
businesses to compete against bigger overseas rivals Siemens AG
and General Electric Co, which are winning
deals even in the Japanese firms' own backyard.
The Nikkei newspaper said earlier the proposed venture would
have annual sales of 1.5 trillion yen ($18.3 billion).
** Japan's biggest bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group
, is among the first round bidders for General
Electric's $1.5 billion stake in Thailand's fifth-largest
lender, Bank of Ayudhya, sources told Reuters on
Thursday.
** State Grid Corp of China is buying a 41
percent stake in unlisted South Australian electricity supplier
ElectraNet, as the Chinese electricity giant ramps up investment
in overseas assets. The Australian Financial Review, which first
reported the deal, said State Grid was paying A$500 million
($523 million).
** Rabobank joined the ranks of financial
institutions scaling back operations in Asia after it put its
Indonesian unit up for sale, in a deal that could fetch around
$400 million, sources said.
** China's Changan Automobile Group is selling its 50
percent stake in a car venture with PSA Peugeot Citroen
to its listed unit, Chongqing Changan Automobile Co
, sources with direct knowledge of the matter said,
in a sale worth 2 billion yuan ($320 million).
** Diversified manufacturer Carlisle Cos Inc said it
will buy Belden Inc's Thermax-Raydex business for about
$265 million, including debt.
** Cisco Systems Inc agreed to buy privately held
network traffic-management software maker Cariden Technologies
Inc for about $141 million in cash.
** Canadian Tire Corp Ltd has agreed to buy
closely held hockey retailer Pro Hockey Life Sporting Goods Inc
for C$85 million.
** Indian group PVR is to buy control of rival
Cinemax India for 3.95 billion rupees ($71 million) to
create the country's biggest operator of multi-screen movie
theatres.
(Compiled by Tej Sapru and Maneesha Tiwari in Bangalore)