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☆ Citi Mexico suitor Mifel enlists Apollo, ADIA to fund bid -sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro | David French | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON/NEW YORK, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Mexico's Banca Mifel has lined up investors including Apollo Global Management and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) to fund a bid for Citigroup Inc’s (C.N) Mexican retail bank, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The debt financing could attract more investors to join in Mifel's bid to buy Citibanamex, although there is enough funding already in place to fully support Mifel's proposal, one of the sources said. The competition to buy one of Mexico’s biggest banks has narrowed to two bidders, with smaller rival Mifel, led by Daniel Becker, battling billionaire German Larrea's conglomerate Grupo Mexico (GMEXICOB.MX). The two remaining bidders are now conducting further due diligence on the business, also known as Banamex, the sources said. Representatives from Mifel and Grupo Mexico did not immediately respond to emails and phone calls requesting comment.

☆ Atlantia exit highlights Milan's battle to retain market heavyweights
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Elisa Anzolin | Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

snapshotFEW NEWCOMERSOn the plus side, four companies joined the main Euronext Milan market this year, including truckmaker Iveco (IVG.MI), which was the result of a spin off. The situation is healthier for Euronext Growth Milan itself, a market dedicated to small and medium-sized enterprises with minimum access requirements. Over the past 20 years, the main market has lost 268 listed companies and gained only 185, according to Intermonte research published in March. In contrast, the less regulated SME market has attracted 263 listed companies and seen 68 delistings. CULTURAL ISSUEThe fact that there are relatively few listed companies has its roots in the country's history, said Andrea Beltratti, professor of Political Economy at Milan's Bocconi University.

☆ SSE to sell stake in transmission network business for $1.78 bln
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 25 (Reuters) - British power generator and network operator SSE (SSE.L) said on Friday it had reached an agreement to sell a 25% stake in its power transmission network business to Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board for 1.47 billion pounds ($1.78 billion). The business, SSEN Transmission – which operates under its licensed entity – Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission plc, will be chaired by SSE's finance director, Gregor Alexander, and Ontario Teachers' will get a proportional representation on the board. The stake sale process is expected to commence in early 2023. Power companies in Britain have been hit by the government's plans to increase a windfall tax to 35% from its current rate of 25% and extend it to power generation firms in an effort to raise tens of billions of pounds to plug a major hole in public finances. ($1 = 0.8258 pounds)Reporting by Radhika Anilkumar in Bengaluru; editing by Uttaresh.V and Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Japan's Mitsubishi UFJ to buy two Asia units of Home Credit for $620 mln
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Makiko Yamazaki | Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Japan's Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc (8306.T) said on Thursday it would buy the Philippines and Indonesian units of Dutch consumer finance company Home Credit BV (HC) for about 596 million euros ($621 million). The acquisitions will be made through main Mitsubishi UFJ banking arm MUFG Bank, Thai unit Bank of Ayudhya PCL (BAY) (BAY.BK), and Indonesian unit Adira Dinamika Multi Finance (ADMF), with the deal to be completed within 2023, the company said. PPF, which had been looking at selling or taking on partners in some markets for the HC business, said in a statement it was the right time to pass the baton. A Mitsubishi UFJ executive said in a briefing that the lender would explore further acquisition opportunities in Southeast Asia. MUFG Bank will hold 25% of HC Philippines, and ADMF will hold 10% of HC Indonesia shares.

☆ Atlantia set to be delisted as buyout bid reaches 90% threshold
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MILAN, Nov 24 (Reuters) - A buyout offer launched by the Benetton family and U.S. investment fund Blackstone (BX.N) for Italy's Atlantia (ATL.MI) has reached the 90% threshold for the deal to proceed and trigger the company's delisting, the bidders said on Thursday. The bid initially failed to reach the threshold but was then reopened for another five days and closes on Friday. The bidders' vehicle named Schema Alfa said in a statement the planned delisting would happen "as soon as possible in the following weeks". The enterprise value of the deal was around 54 billion euros ($56.32 billion) based on Atlantia's debt level at the end of last year. Atlantia shares closed at 22.95 euros on Wednesday, just below the 23 euros per share Schema Alfa is offering to pay.

☆ Russia's Yandex seeks Putin's approval for restructuring - FT
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 24 (Reuters) - Russian internet giant Yandex NV (YNDX.O) is seeking President Vladimir Putin's approval to sell its operations in the country and spin off its main international projects, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing sources. The company has informally enlisted former finance minister Alexei Kudrin to win Putin's approval, in principle, for the restructuring plan, according to the report. Often referred to as Russia's Google, Yandex like many Russian companies has had turbulent few months after grappling with Moscow's increasing isolation in the wake of the Ukraine conflict. In August, VK, a state-controlled company with close links to Putin, agreed to buy Yandex's news feed and homepage. In exchange, Yandex acquired food delivery company Delivery Club from VK to focus on other business areas, such as food delivery and ride-hailing.

☆ China approves 20 M&A deals, including INEOS stake buy in Shanghai SECCO Petrochem
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Nov 23 (Reuters) - China's market regulator on Wednesday approved 20 merger and acquisition transactions without conditions, including INEOS Co.'s acquisition of Shanghai SECCO Petrochemical's stake, according to a statement on its website. In July, China's Sinopec Corp announced a string of deals with UK-based chemicals and energy group INEOS, including the sale of a 50% stake in Shanghai SECCO Petrochemical for 10.5 billion yuan ($1.56 billion). read moreReporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Citigroup targets more deals in Gulf region
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Gulf region has become a bright spot for public share sales this year, boosted by high oil prices and government-led privatisation programmes. The growth in Gulf equity capital markets is in sharp contrast to the United States and Europe, where global banks have been trimming headcount in a dealmaking drought. Citigroup moved its director for power, renewables and utilities, Omar El Duraie, to Dubai from London this year . "This year the region has been extremely active while the rest of the world has been on pause," he told Reuters. Others expanding in the Gulf include Rothschild & Co (ROTH.PA), which has opened an office in Saudi Arabia, while Goldman Sachs (GS.N) is hiring bankers for its wealth management and investment banking businesses in the region.

☆ Saudi Arabia's Dar Al Arkan signs deal with Trump family for Oman project
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | Shariq Khan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabian real estate developer Dar Al Arkan said it signed an agreement with former U.S. President Donald Trump's company to use the Trump Brand for its $4 billion project in the Gulf state of Oman that includes a golf course, hotel and villas. The regulatory statement issued on Sunday did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement with the Trump Organization, which manages hotels, golf courses and other real estate around the world. The Aida project, a joint venture with Oman Tourism Development Company, will include Trump residential villas, a hotel and a golf course built near Muscat and would take over a decade to complete, the Dar Al Arkan filing said. The Trump Organization has two golf properties in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, the Middle East's financial and tourism hub, in partnership with property developer Damac. ($1 = 3.7580 riyals)Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Novartis weighs sale of ophthalmology, respiratory units - Bloomberg
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 16 (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG (NOVN.S) is considering to sell its ophthalmology and respiratory units, a Bloomberg report said on Wednesday citing people familiar with the matter. Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Japanese chipmaker Rohm considering joining JIP for Toshiba buyout
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Japanese chipmaker Rohm Co Ltd (6963.T) said on Wednesday it was considering joining a consortium led by private equity fund Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) to buy out Toshiba Corp (6502.T), as JIP works to consolidate its proposal. The Nikkei newspaper reported that Kyoto-based Rohm planned to invest up to about 300 billion yen ($2.14 billion) in the proposed 2.2 trillion yen acquisition of Toshiba, citing multiple sources it did not name. A Rohm spokesperson confirmed that the company was considering joining the JIP consortium for the buyout but added that nothing had been decided, including the amount of any investment. Rohm and Toshiba are both major manufacturers of power management chips, which efficiently control electric power in cars, electronic devices and industrial equipment. JIP has contacted several Japanese companies to join the bid for Toshiba, including utility Chubu Electric Power Co Inc (9502.T) and financial services group Orix Corp (8591.T), sources familiar with the matter have said.

☆ Japan's Rohm, Suzuki Motor join Toshiba buyout bid - Nikkei
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Japanese chipmaker Rohm Co Ltd (6963.T) and automaker Suzuki Motor Corp (7269.T) have joined a proposal by private equity fund Japan Industrial Partners to take over Toshiba Corp (6502.T), the Nikkei newspaper said on Wednesday. Rohm will invest about 300 billion yen ($2.14 billion) in the buyout proposal, Nikkei said, citing multiple sources it did not name. ($1 = 139.8900 yen)Reporting by Mariko Katsumura and Daniel Leussink; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ WTO warns of 'real' recession risk in some major economies
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Leika Kihara | Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"It may not happen everywhere, but several key countries risk sliding into recession," WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told Reuters on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' meeting in Bali, Indonesia. "Of course, the impact of that can be quite significant for emerging markets and poor countries, which need external demand from the developed countries to recover." The Geneva-based trade body last month projected global trade to rise just 1.0% in 2023, down sharply from an estimated 3.5% rise for this year. Okonjo-Iweala said she has called on G20 leaders to phase out food export restrictions, which have been on the rise and hurt poor countries by pushing up food prices. In a meeting in September, trade ministers of the G7 advanced economies agreed to work towards having a functioning WTO dispute settlement system by 2024.

☆ HSBC Oman, Sohar International Bank ink merger pact
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Nov 16 (Reuters) - HSBC Bank Oman and local rival Sohar International Bank have entered into a binding merger agreement, the two lenders said on Wednesday. All assets and liabilities of HSBC Oman will be transferred to Sohar International, the banks said in two separate regulatory announcements, without disclosing the deal value. On completion of a merger, HSBC Oman will cease to exist as a legal entity and its shares will be cancelled, the banks said. The shares that form a part of consideration to HSBC Oman shareholders will value Sohar International at 1 times book value, they said. With this decision, HSBC Oman and Sohar International will join other lenders of neighbouring Gulf countries in consolidating their operations.

☆ BDT Capital Partners takes minority stake in German chip plant builder Exyte
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Nov 16 (Reuters) - German chip factory builder Exyte said on Wednesday that U.S. investor BDT Capital Partners was acquiring a minority stake in the Stuttgart-based based company. BDT will become a minority Exyte shareholder alongside Georg Stumpf, Exyte's current sole owner, who will retain a majority stake, Exyte said in a statement. Financial sources said BDT was taking a stake of about one third in Exyte. Buechele said in the statement that Exyte would exceed its forecasts this year with targeted sales of around 7 billion euros ($7.28 billion), putting it closer to its goal of reaching 10 billion euros in sales in 2027. "I am pleased that BDT is convinced of Exyte's potential and prospects and will accompany us on our journey."

☆ KFC's Middle East and North Africa franchisee sets price range for IPO
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Americana Restaurants, the Middle East and North Africa franchisee of fast-food restaurants KFC and Pizza Hut, is set to raise as much as $1.8 billion from its initial public offering after the company disclosed an indicative price range on Monday. The price range was set at 2.50 dirhams to 2.62 dirhams per share, the company said in a statement, implying an equity value for the group between $5.73 billion to $6.01 billion. The final price will be disclosed on Nov. 23, the company said. Retail investors in the UAE will be allocated 5% of the offering, while retail investors in Saudi Arabia will be offered 10%. Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and by Janane VenkatramanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Saudi Arabia's PIF reduces majority stake in Saudi Tadawul Group
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund has sold a 10% stake in stock exchange operator and owner Saudi Tadawul Group through a secondary share offering, raising 2.3 billion riyals ($612 million), it said in a statement on Sunday. The sovereign wealth fund with over $600 billion in assets said it sold 12 million shares through an accelerated bookbuild offering. The fund's remaining stake amounts to 72 million shares or 60% of the company, it said. PIF is the main engine of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 plan to wean the economy off its dependence on oil. It sold a 6% stake in Saudi Telecom (STC) for 12 billion riyals ($3.2 billion) in December last year.

Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERSDUBAI, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) is working with Lazard (LAZ.N) on funding options and a potential initial public offering of Masar, a $27 billion mega project in the holy city of Mecca, two sources with direct knowledge told Reuters. The PIF, Lazard and Masar did not respond to a Reuters query for comment. Bloomberg first reported Lazard was advising the sovereign wealth fund on NEOM. Masar is a 1.2 million square metre urban development project in the western part of Mecca. Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh;Editing by Elaine HardcastleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ KFC's Middle East and North Africa franchisee plans dual listing in UAE, Saudi
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Americana Restaurants, the Middle East and North Africa franchisee of fast-food restaurants KFC and Pizza Hut, said it planned to launch an initial public offering (IPO), followed by a dual listing in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Adeptio Investments, an investment vehicle jointly-held by Dubai businessman and founder of Emaar Properties (EMAR.DU) Mohammed Alabbar and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, is offering about 2.53 billion existing ordinary shares, representing 30% of the company, Americana said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday. The IPO would start from Nov. 14 to Nov. 21 for retail investors in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and Nov. 14 to Nov. 22 for institutional investors in both the countries. Following its public share-sale, it expects to list on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and the Saudi Exchange on or around Dec. 6, it said. Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh; Editing by Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Saudi Aramco joins oil results bonanza with 39% jump in net income
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aramco's net income rose to $42.4 billion for the three months to Sept. 30 from $30.4 billion a year earlier, it said in a regulatory filing. The company's free cash flow rose to $45 billion from $28.7 billion a year-earlier. Aramco's reported net income, while higher year on year, was slightly lower than its record second quarter. Net income was also partially offset by increased production royalties, resulting from stronger crude oil prices and higher sales volume. Royalties and other taxes more than doubled year-on-year in the third quarter to $24.3 billion, from $10.48 billion last year.

☆ Saudi Aramco's quarterly net income up 39% to $42.4 billion
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabian state oil producer Aramco (2222.SE) said on Tuesday its third-quarter net income rose 39%, boosted by higher crude oil prices and volumes sold, beating analysts' forecasts. Aramco's net income rose to $42.4 billion for the quarter to Sept. 30 from $30.4 billion a year earlier, it said in a bourse filing. That was just above the median net profit forecast of $41.7 billion from 16 analysts. The company's free cash flow rose to $45 billion from $28.7 billion a year-earlier. It declared a dividend of $18.8 billion in the third quarter, in line with its own target, which will be paid in the fourth quarter.

☆ Saudi Arabia approves dual listing of Pizza Hut, KFC franchisee
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

DUBAI, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's market regulator said on Monday it had approved a concurrent and dual listing of Americana Group, the Middle East and North Africa franchisee of fast-food chains KFC and Pizza Hut, in the kingdom and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Americana has approval to sell 30% of its shares, which will be the first to trade in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The Capital Market Authority said the approval was for a dual registration in the two countries and an offering of 2.53 billion shares. Americana is owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and an investment consortium led by Dubai businessman Mohammed Alabbar, founder of Dubai-listed Emaar Properties (EMAR.DU). ($1 = 3.7568 riyals)Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Dubai school operator Taaleem seeks to raise $204.21 mln in IPO - document
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Dubai school operator Taaleem said on Monday it planned to raise 750 million dirhams ($204.21 million) in an initial public offering (IPO) to expand its premium schools network. read moreTaaleem, one of the largest providers of early childhood, primary and secondary education in Dubai, was founded in 2004. In 2007, the school operator was backed by Investment Corporation of Dubai, an investment arm of the Dubai government. Over $15 billion has been raised in listings across the Gulf so far this year, according to Refinitiv data. Saudi Arabia had 24 IPOs that raised $4.75 billion, while the UAE had seven that raised more than $10 billion, the data showed.

☆ Saudi's Kingdom Holding company to maintain Twitter stake
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's Kingdom Holding Company and the private office of Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal said on Friday that they will continue their ownership of Twitter (TWTR.N) shares valued at $1.89 billion after Elon Musk's takeover of the social media company, according to a statement tweeted by Prince Alwaleed. Alwaleed's Kingdom Holding is 16.9% owned by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund chaired by crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal rose to international prominence after making a big successful bet on Citigroup Inc(C.N)in the 1990s and he was an early investor in Apple Inc. The prince has also made hundreds of millions of dollars by investing in companies such as Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) to Twitter Inc. Reporting by Lilian Wagdy, Writing by Hadeel Al Sayegh; Editing by David Goodman and Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] A helmet with logo of Saudi Aramco is pictured at the oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia October 12, 2019. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/FilesRIYADH, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Oil giant Saudi Aramco launched a $1.5 billion fund to support an inclusive global energy transition on Wednesday while Saudi officials said the switch from hydrocarbons could take decades, necessitating continued investment in conventional resources. What we need is an optimal, realistic transition plan," Aramco CEO Amin Nasser told a business forum, where he announced the new fund managed by Aramco Ventures. Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan told the FII gathering that thinking around the global energy transition has "now became more realistic that actually transition will take... possibly 30 years", and that conventional resources remained important to ensure security of supply. Saudi sovereign wealth fund the Public Investment Fund (PIF) has established five regional investment companies in Jordan, Bahrain, Sudan, Iraq and Oman, PIF said on Wednesday, following a similar move for an investment subsidiary in Egypt.

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