(Adds Nestlé France, Hammerson and Bain Capital, updates Mach Natural Resources)
The following deals, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures were reported as of 2:30 p.m. GMT Monday:
** Nestlé France, the French branch of Swiss food giant Nestlé NESN.S , has started exclusive negotiations to sell its Caudry factory, in northern France, to the Italian group Italpizza.
**British shopping center owner Hammerson HMSO.L is in detailed talks to sell its stake in luxury store operator Value Retail for around 1 billion pounds ($1.23 billion), Sky News reported, citing industry executives.
** Bain Capital is exploring a sale or IPO of Varsity Brands that could value the U.S. maker of sports uniforms and school yearbooks at more than $6 billion, including debt, according to people familiar with the matter .
** Mach Natural Resources MNR.N said it would buy certain oil and gas assets in Oklahoma’s Anadarko Basin from privately held Paloma Partners for $815 million in cash.
** Japan’s Ajinomoto 2802.T said it had agreed to acquire U.S. genetic drugmaker Forge Biologics Holdings for 82.8 billion yen ($546 million). (Full article)
** Australian pension fund AustralianSuper said it had rejected a last-minute offer from a consortium led by Brookfield and its partner EIG to drop its opposition to their $10.5 billion bid for Origin Energy and join the buyout. (Full article)
** Spanish construction group ACS ACS.MC has hired Societe Generale investment bank SOGN.PA to sell its Clece services unit, Expansion newspaper reported, citing unidentified financial sources. (Read more )
** Greek bank rescue fund HFSF said it sold its 9% stake in Alpha Bank ACBr.AT to UniCredit for 293.5 million euros ($314 million) after a better offer from the Italian bank. (Read more )