May 22 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions
and disposals were reported by 1330 GMT on Wednesday:
** Australia's Westfield Group is in talks to sell
seven U.S. shopping malls to private real estate investment
company Starwood Capital Group for more than $1 billion, a
source said on Wednesday.
** Oslo-listed oil services company Archer has
agreed to sell its North American Rental and Tubular division to
an affiliate of the Clearlake Capital Group for $244 million, it
said on Wednesday.
** West Africa-focused miner Afferro Mining Inc
has agreed to a $190 million cash-and-paper offer from
investment group IMIC, it said on Wednesday.
** Kazakhstan will decide by early July whether to take up
an option to buy ConocoPhillips stake in the Kashagan
oilfield, which has drawn interest from China and India.
** Etisalat has yet to hear back from Vivendi
on its bid for the French firm's 53 percent stake in
Maroc Telecom, the chief executive of the United Arab
Emirates No.1 telecom operator said on Wednesday.
** The owners of Volksbanken Leasing International, a top
three leasing company in central and eastern Europe, have hired
Ithuba Capital to advise on its sale, putting pressure on
Raiffeisen Zentralbank to decide whether it wants the business.
** Pfizer Inc said on Wednesday that it would unwind
its remaining stake in animal health business Zoetis Inc
through an exchange offer in which shareholders can swap Pfizer
stock for that of Zoetis at a discount.
** Japan's largest brokerage firm Nomura Holdings Inc
said on Wednesday it was seeking partners to expand its
retail and asset management operations in Southeast Asia and was
in talks with several financial institutions in the region.
** Real estate developer Azrieli Group agreed to pay 374
million shekels ($101 million) to purchase land from the Yedioth
Ahronoth newspaper group that is adjacent to the Azrieli
shopping centre and business complex in Tel Aviv.
** Russia-focused telecoms firm Vimpelcom's talks to
sell a controlling stake in its Algerian mobile business Djezzy
to Algeria are at a delicate stage but have not failed, a source
with knowledge of the discussions said on Wednesday.
** Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd
has paid $500 million for a stake of around 10 percent
in financial data provider Markit Group, a person familiar with
the transaction said on Tuesday.
