((Automated translation by Reuters, please see disclaimer https://bit.ly/rtrsauto))
(The market is enriched with Hess, US Steel and Paramount Global)
The following deals, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures were reported at 2000 GMT Friday:
** Hedge fund Barington Capital has asked Paramount Global to abandon its exclusive merger talks with Skydance Media, arguing that all shareholders would benefit from the company considering other potential bidders.
** US Steel intensifies.
** An Exxon Mobil XOM.N arbitration proceeding that could block the sale of Hess Corp HES.N to Chevron CVX.N could drag on until the end of the year, Hess said in a report on securities in the United States.
**The American genetic sequencing company Illumina
ILMN.O has received the green light from EU competition authorities to sell Grail GRAL.O , a maker of cancer diagnostic tests, after blocking the deal two years ago.
** Thai retailer Central Group has acquired the KaDeWe building in central Berlin from insolvent Austrian company Signa, taking a step closer to purchasing the group.
**Japanese financial group Mitsubishi UFJ (MUFG) 8306.T is buying a 20% stake in HDFC Bank’s non-banking unit HDB Financial Services HDBK.NS , valuing the IPO subsidiary at between 9 and $10 billion, the Economic Times reported.
** The United Arab Emirates’ state-owned oil company recently considered buying Britain’s BP BP.L but deliberations have not progressed beyond preliminary discussions, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
** Société Générale SOGN.PA said it had agreed to the sale to Moroccan conglomerate Saham Group of Société Générale Marocaine de Banques and La Marocaine Vie for 745 million euros ($797.45 million), as part of a broader divestment strategy, which sent its shares up more than 2%.
** Australia’s Boral BLD.AX has recommended investors accept a buyout offer from its major shareholder Seven Group Holdings SVW.AX for up to A$1.5 billion ($980.70 million). ), after having negotiated an increase in the cash component of the transaction.
** The Financial Times reported on Thursday that Brookfield Asset Management BAM.TO is in advanced talks to acquire a majority stake in private credit manager Castlelake with an investment of more than $1.5 billion.
** Four members of Paramount Global PARA.O’s board of directors will step down following reports that the Shari Redstone-controlled entertainment giant was discussing a merger with Skydance Media, the company said in its solicitation filing of proxies on Thursday.