Reuters - Deals Today

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Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Berlin urges Linde to consider workers' views in Praxair merger

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries urged German industrial gases group Linde on Wednesday not to force through a planned $73 billion merger with U.S. peer Praxair against the will of German workers.

ChemChina gets nearly 95 percent of Syngenta, seeks more

ZURICH (Reuters) - ChemChina has accumulated nearly 95 percent of shares in Swiss pesticides and seeds group Syngenta as part of its $43 billion tender offer, China's biggest foreign takeover to date.

LafargeHolcim to launch Swiss share buyback on June 1

ZURICH (Reuters) - LafargeHolcim will start on June 1 its share buyback program worth up to 1 billion Swiss francs ($1.03 billion), the world's biggest cement group said on Wednesday.

Restaurant chain Vapiano plans share sell to accelerate expansion

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German-owned Vapiano SE is planning an initial public offering this year to raise 85 million euros ($95 million) to help fund the expansion of its Italian-themed restaurants.

Spain's Abertis says company has not received offer for Cellnex

MADRID (Reuters) - A spokeswoman for Spain's Abertis said on Wednesday that the company has not received an offer for its stake in Cellnex following a report that American Towers may be interested.

Saudi British Bank picks Goldman for Alawwal merger: sources

DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi British Bank (SABB) has appointed U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs to advise on a proposed merger with fellow Saudi Arabian lender Alawwal Bank , sources familiar with the matter said.

British Columbia political alliance vows to block pipeline expansion

VICTORIA, British Columbia (Reuters) - The two parties set to take power in Canada's Pacific province of British Columbia vowed on Tuesday to block Kinder Morgan Inc's plans to expand an oil pipeline, setting up a fight with energy-rich Alberta and the federal government.

Payments firm First Data to acquire CardConnect for $750 million: companies

NEW YORK (Reuters) - First Data Corp has agreed to acquire smaller payments processing peer CardConnect Corp in a deal worth around $750 million, the companies said on Tuesday.

China's Zhong An aims to raise at least $1 billion in Hong Kong IPO - sources

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Zhong An Online Property and Casualty Insurance, China's first online-only insurer, has resumed a plan to raise $1 billion or more in a Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) in the second half of this year, said two people with knowledge of the matter.

HGGC to buy majority stake in Idera, values firm over $1 billion: sources

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Private equity firm HGGC has agreed to take a majority stake in database software firm Idera, valuing the company at roughly $1.125 billion including debt, according to sources familiar with the matter.