Renault will buy Nissan's 51 percent share in its Indian auto manufacturing division.

According to news agency Reuters, the Renault Group declared on Monday, March 31, that it intends to purchase the remaining 51% of Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Ltd, which is owned by the Japanese carmaker.Nissan controls 51% of the Chennai-based subsidiary Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Ltd, which began operations in 2010, according to the news report.At the beginning, the Japanese automaker owned 70% of the company, with the Paris-based Renault holding 30% as well. As part of the agreement to invest $600 million to manufacture six automobile models in India, Nissan's stake decreased from 70% to 51% in 2023.According to the agency report, Renault and Nissan also declared on Monday that they had reached an agreement to modify their long-standing relationship by allowing the decrease of their cross-shareholdings to 10% from the previous 15% levels. In the official statement referenced in the story, Renault CEO Luca de Meo stated, "As Nissan's primary shareholder and a longstanding partner within the alliance, Renault Group has a strong interest in seeing Nissan turn around its performance as quickly as possible."Nissan will no longer be bound by the agreement's revised terms to invest in Renault's electric vehicle (EV) division, Ampere. At first, the business intended to invest 600 million euros in the EV project.  

Fachmann Berater and Cornerstone India Consulting have announced their merger.

Fachmann Berater Executive Search Pvt Ltd, situated in Chennai, and Cornerstone India Consulting, the Indian division of Atlanta-based Cornerstone International Group, a top 20 global executive search firm, have agreed to an operational merger.Cornerstone India Consulting's growth goals of becoming a leading executive search brand will be expedited by the combination. Additionally, according to a release, Fachmann Berater's clientele, which is dispersed across a variety of industries, and its unique skills will undoubtedly help Cornerstone achieve its operational and strategic goals, benefiting all of our stakeholders.Fachmann Berater Executive Search Pvt Ltd, situated in Chennai, and Cornerstone India Consulting, the Indian division of Atlanta-based Cornerstone International Group, a top-20 worldwide executive search firm, have agreed to an operational merger.  

The purchase of a 10% share in Tata Play by Tata Sons from Temasek is approved by CCI.

With the approval of the Competition Commission of India (CCI), Tata Sons has increased its ownership of Tata Play to 70% by purchasing a 10% share from Baytree Investments. Additionally, Tata Play and Bharti Airtel are negotiating a DTH business merger. With Airtel predicting a majority ownership, the combined company might be worth between 6,000 and 7,000 crore. The purchase of a 10% share in Temasek-owned Baytree Investments' direct-to-home (DTH) service Tata Play by Tata Sons has been authorized by the Competition Commission of India (CCI). Following the transaction, Walt Disney now owns 30% of Tata Play, while Tata Sons now own 70%.According to an ET story on April 30, 2024, Temasek's 10% interest in Tata Play was purchased by Tata Sons for about $100 million, increasing its ownership to 70%. Tata Play was valued at $1 billion in the deal, a substantial decrease from its previous $3 billion estimate.  

Allianz, a global insurer, is negotiating a Viridium deal worth more than $3 billion.

Allianz, a German insurance giant, is in exclusive negotiations to buy Viridium. The transaction would strengthen Allianz's domestic operations and value the smaller company, which consolidates closed books of insurance contracts, at around $3 billion.The Wall Street Journal said on Friday that Germany's Allianz SE is in exclusive talks to buy Viridium Group from European private equity company Cinven for more than €3 billion, or roughly $3.3 billion. The goal of the possible deal is to expand the financial services behemoth's domestic activities. Germany's Allianz SE is in exclusive negotiations to acquire Viridium Group from European private equity firm Cinven for over €3 billion (approximately $3.3 billion), The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. The potential deal is looking to increase the financial service giant's domestic operations. As per the report, Allianz beat out rival bidders including Athora, an insurer affiliated with Apollo Global Management.According to its website, Viridium, a German company as well, administers and purchases closed life insurance portfolios with the goal of reducing expenses and increasing investment returns. It is in charge of more than €67 billion in assets.According to its website, Viridium, a German company as well, administers and purchases closed life insurance portfolios with the goal of reducing expenses and increasing investment returns. It is in charge of more than €67 billion in assets.  

The Tata Group and Bharti Airtel are discussing merging their DTH businesses.

Talks are underway between Bharti Airtel and the Tata Group to combine their separate direct-to-home (DTH) businesses, Tata Play and Bharti Telemedia. This action is taken in response to the issues facing India's DTH sector as a result of consumers' growing preference for digital content platforms. Bharti Airtel's Airtel Digital TV is still expanding, despite a drop in customers in the market as a whole. A stronger player in the DTH sector could result from major consolidation if the merger is finalized.Important Takeaways The combination of Tata Play and Bharti Telemedia is being discussed by Bharti Airtel and the Tata Group. Active customers in India's DTH market fell from 62.17 million in June 2024 to 59.91 million in September 2024. The only DTH provider to have an increase in subscribers during this time was Airtel Digital TV. Business reorganization and rebranding may result from the possible merger. The conclusion of these conversations could have an impact on the share price of Bharti Airtel.A gradual drop in customers has been observed in India's DTH sector, primarily as a result of the growth of over-the-top (OTT) platforms. According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) most recent report, the number of active subscribers fell by 3.6% between June 2024 and September 2024. The only DTH provider to see growth in the most recent quarter was Bharti Telemedia's Airtel Digital TV, which added 29,000 new customers despite the market's decline.  

Veranda Learning purchases stock in Navkar Digital and BB Virtuals.

By June 2025, the corporation plans to purchase an additional 10.59% of BB Virtuals. Veranda anticipates a pro forma EBITDA of more than Rs 120 crores for FY25 as a result of these acquisitions. A premier online resource for those aspiring to become chartered accountants (CAs) and commerce professionals, BB Virtuals was developed by the well-known CA educator Bhanwar Borana. More than 500 all-India rank winners have been produced from its more than 200,000 online pupils.Mr. Hiteshkumar Shah founded Navkar Digital, a reputable offline learning environment for Gujarati candidates aspiring to become chartered accountants (CA), company secretaries (CS), and cost and management accountants (CMAs). Prof. J.K. Shah, the founder of JK Shah Classes "By bringing in BB Virtuals and Navkar Digital into the Veranda ecosystem integrating these companies with JK Shah Classes, we are building a powerful alliance that provides students pursuing commerce education with unparalleled academic support. "Part of the Kalpathi AGS Group, Veranda Learning Solutions is a publicly traded education technology company that provides a variety of professional skilling and upskilling programs in addition to training programs for competitive exam preparation, including those for the state public service commission, banking, insurance, railways, IAS, and CA.  

Russia Investigates Merging Oil Giants to Become a Mega Producer

With nearly three times Exxon Mobil's output, the resulting company would easily be the second-largest crude producer in the world, behind Saudi Arabia's Aramco.Moscow is working on a plan to merge its biggest oil companies into a single national champion, a deal that would tighten President Vladimir Putin’s grip on global energy markets and Russia’s wartime economy.According to persons familiar with the talks, one scenario being explored would see state-backed major Rosneft Oil acquire independently-owned Lukoil and fellow state producer Gazprom Neft, a division of natural-gas exporter Gazprom. All three companies are subject to U.S. sanctions. Russia is exploring a plan to merge its three largest oil companies into a single producer. The merger would create the world's second-largest oil producer, after Saudi Arabia's Aramco.According to the Wall Street Journal, the Russian government is allegedly developing a plan to combine the nation's biggest oil companies into a national mega-producer, which would make it the second-largest producer in the world and bolster Russian President Vladimir Putin's control over international energy markets.  

Building-Products Distributor QXO Prepares to Nominate Directors Over Beacon Deal

QXO publishes offer to buy Beacon for $124.25 per share, says it has been rebuffed time and againQXO said Wednesday that it has secured the committed financing for a deal and is prepared to nominate directors to Beacon's board. It also said it told Beacon that the offer of $124.25 is “very close to the highest end” of what it is willing to pay.QXO, Inc. (Nasdaq: QXO) today announced that it has made public a proposal to the Board of Directors of Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc. (Nasdaq: BECN) to acquire all outstanding shares of Beacon for $124.25 per share in cash. The proposal implies a total transaction value of approximately $11 billion and a 37% premium above Beacon’s 90-day unaffected volume-weighted average price of $91.02. “Our all-cash offer provides compelling value. We think Beacon shareholders have a right to consider our proposal, despite the attempt by Beacon’s Board of Directors to conceal it from them,” said Brad Jacobs, chairman and chief executive officer of QXO.  

CY24 saw a 38% increase in M&A activity in India, with a $35 billion IPO pipeline.

Indian conglomerates and international private equity investors were the main drivers of India's 38% increase in M&A activity in CY24, which reached $109 billion. With an active IPO pipeline, the equity capital market raised $74 billion. India is becoming a preferred monetization option for MNCs.Mumbai: In CY24, India's M&A activity increased by 38% to $109 billion from $79 billion the previous year. A research by Kotak Mahindra Investment Bank claims that this increase is indicative of strong investor confidence in India's growth story. Indian conglomerates and international private equity investors were the main drivers of India's 38% increase in M&A activity in CY24, which reached $109 billion. With an active IPO pipeline, the equity capital market raised $74 billion.  

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Shutterstock and Getty Images will merge in a $3.7 billion deal.

Shutterstock and Getty Images Holdings have reached an agreement to combine into a single visual content business with an estimated enterprise value of $3.7 billion. When the merger closes, Getty stockholders will own around 54.7% of the combined business, which will continue to use the Getty name, the firms announced Tuesday. Ownership of the remaining 45.3% will go to shutterstock stockholders.The $3.7 billion visual content company that will be created by the merger of Shutterstock and Getty Images will add a variety of items to their portfolios.The $3.7 billion visual content company will be formed by the merger of Shutterstock and Getty Images. Getty Images CEO Craig Peters said in a statement on Tuesday that "never has there been a better time for our two businesses to come together, given the rapid rise in demand for compelling visual content across industries."Peters will be the combined company's chief executive officer. The shareholders of Shutterstock will have the option of receiving a mixed consideration of 9.17 shares of Getty Images common stock plus $9.50 in cash for each share of Shutterstock common stock they own, or approximately $28.85 per share in cash for each share of Shutterstock common stock they own. Alternatively, they will receive 13.67 shares of Getty Images common stock for each share of Shutterstock common stock they own.  

Nippon Steel's $15 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel is blocked by Biden: Report

The Washington Post said on Friday that U.S. President Joe Biden has chosen to thwart Nippon Steel's $14.9 billion buyout offer of U.S. Steel, citing two unidentified administration officials who were not authorized to discuss the situation.The Washington Post reports that Biden's choice might be made public by the White House as early as Friday.According to U.S. Steel, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States was unable to come to a consensus on whether to approve the acquisition, therefore on December 23, the matter was submitted to Biden.After receiving the CFIUS examination, Biden had 15 days to approve or deny the merger. As a result, Nippon Steel decided to move the transaction's deadline from the third or fourth quarter of 2024 to the first quarter of 2025.The acquisition raised concerns among the CFIUS that Nippon Steel might reduce U.S. Steel's manufacturing capacity, endangering American national security. According to The Washington Post, the CFIUS stated in its assessment that "potentially decreased output by U.S. Steel could result in supply shortages and delays that could affect industries critical to national security." Nippon Steel on Tuesday gave the U.S. government the power to veto any cuts to the company's steel production in an effort to allay that concern. Nippon Steel had previously made several concessions on the deal, including maintaining U.S. Steel's Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, headquarters and appointing U.S. citizens to the board of directors. U.S. Steel shareholders supported the merger and voted in favor of its approval in April. President and CEO David B. Burritt of U.S. Steel stated, "The resounding support from our stockholders is a clear endorsement that they recognize the compelling rationale for our transaction with NSC." However, Biden, who has always openly opposed the deal, was not persuaded by those arguments. Biden declared in an official statement in March that "[U.S. Steel] must continue to be an American steel company that is owned and operated domestically." The incoming U.S. president  

In an all-cash transaction, RIL pays Rs 375 cr to purchase healthcare company Karkinos.

Reliance Industries, owned by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, announced on Saturday that it has paid Rs 375 crore to acquire Karkinos, a technology-driven healthcare platform with an oncology focus.In a stock exchange filing, Reliance Strategic Business Ventures (RSBVL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the most valuable corporation in India listed on the Mumbai Stock Exchange, announced that it had successfully acquired Karkinos Healthcare Pvt Ltd and allocated the necessary shares. Karkinos was founded in India on July 24, 2020, and offers cutting-edge, technology-driven solutions for cancer diagnosis, treatment, and early detection. In the fiscal year 2022–2023, it generated approximately Rs 22 crore in revenue."Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Ltd has on December 27, 2024, subscribed to and has been allotted 10 mn equity shares of Rs 10 each, for cash, aggregating Rs 10 crore and 365 million optionally fully convertible debentures of Rs 10 each, for cash, aggregating Rs 365 crore of Karkinos," according to the regulatory filing.  

The cement business anticipates stronger growth in 2025.

The Indian cement industry, which is seeing two corporate houses consolidate and become more competitive, is focusing on 2025 in the hopes of improving sales realization, increasing margins, and accelerating demand. It anticipates an approximate 8% increase in sales, aided by higher government spending on expensive infrastructure projects. Two major firms are paying USD 4.5 billion to purchase more than 50 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) of capacity: UltraTech, a company in the Aditya Birla group. From moderate capacity utilization to lower sales realisation, which affected the topline of several manufacturers, to margin contraction and slower volume growth, the industry confronted numerous problems in 2024.As part of its inorganic expansion strategy, Adani Cements, a lateral entrant in the sector, recently announced that it would purchase Orient Cement, a company owned by the CK Birla group, in addition to completing the acquisition of Penna Industries and Sanghi Industries, all of which are situated in Saurashtra. Additionally, it has seized the facilities of smaller competitors, such as My Home and its affiliate ACC, which has purchased Asian Concretes and Cements.  

The acquisition of Canaccor Genuity Group Inc.'s securities has been announced by CG Partners Limited.

TORONTO, Dec. 20, 2024 /CNW/ - To acquire and hold common shares and other securities of Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. (the "Company") on behalf of its employees, CG Partners Limited Partnership (the "Partnership"), an independent employee share-ownership vehicle, announced that it has purchased 1,092,519 common shares of the company ("Shares"). The Partnership held 9,914,000 shares prior to the acquisition, which accounted for about 9.7% of the total number of shares in circulation. After the purchase, the Partnership now holds 11,006,519 shares in total, or about 10.7% of the total number of shares in circulation. In accordance with its objective to act as a long-term ownership vehicle for senior employees of the Company, the Partnership plans to hold the Shares for investment purposes.  The number of shares held by the Partnership may occasionally rise or fall as a result of the Partnership's acquisition or disposal of shares as participating employees depart and new employees join the Partnership.In accordance with National Instrument 62-103, The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues, this press release is being released. On the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca, a copy of the early warning report that the Partnership is required to file in relation to the transactions detailed below will be accessible.The Partnership will file an early warning report in connection with the transactions outlined here, and a copy of the report will be accessible on the Company's SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca.  

A US regulator launches a comprehensive antitrust investigation targeting Microsoft

Microsoft (MSFT.O) is the latest Big Tech company to come under regulatory scrutiny after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission launched a comprehensive antitrust investigation against the company, according to a source familiar with the situation on Wednesday.According to the source, the FTC would be investigating its cloud computing operations, software licensing, and cybersecurity and AI product practices. MICROSOFT Ahead of her anticipated departure in January and the anticipation that incoming President Donald Trump would name a fellow Republican with a more lenient stance toward business, Chair Lina Khan approved the FTC's antitrust investigation. According to sources earlier this month, Microsoft's antitrust probe would also examine claims that the software behemoth is abusing its market dominance in productivity software by enforcing harsh licensing conditions to stop users from transferring their data from its Azure cloud service to rival platforms.Alphabet A new tab opens in Alphabet's (GOOGL.O). Prosecutors contend that Google should sell its Chrome browser, share data and search results, and potentially even sell Android in the Google search case, where a federal judge found that the company had violated the law by illegally controlling internet search. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta will convene a two-week trial to determine whether remedies are appropriate in this case after giving Google an opportunity to suggest its own remedies in December.  

Seeking to seize incredible deals in the digital market: CCI

Ravneet Kaur, the chairman of the Competition Commission of India (CCI), stated on Wednesday that the agency is attempting to use deal valuations to stop "creeping" and "killer acquisitions" in the digital sector."We are making an effort to remember that there are digital business models that function at zero charge, thus the asset turnover limits might not exist. Therefore, we are currently attempting to use the deal value to capture creeping acquisitions and killer acquisitions," she stated.At a CII event, Kaur stated, "This is really customized for the Indian scenario and how we have to protect our ecosystem," emphasizing the antitrust regulator's attempt to strengthen models to guarantee fair competition in the market while taking into account Indian-specific sensitivities and interests. Kaur stated that the CCI views mergers and acquisitions "in a very facilitative manner" and has no intention of preventing them. The CCI examines structural and behavioral solutions to make sure there is no violation of rules and regulations, she said, even if regulators in certain jurisdictions have prohibited the acquisitions because they believed they would endanger fair competition in the market. -Our Bureau    

Banco BPM shares in Italy rise as Credit Agricole increases its ownership.

Following the announcement late last week by French lender Crédit Agricole that it was increasing its holding in the Italian bank, Banco BPM shares surged on Monday.Early trading saw Banco BPM shares increase more than 2%, the most since January 2016. On Friday, Crédit Agricole said that it had begun the process of increasing its ownership in Banco BPM.If approved by Italian officials, this would increase its ownership from 9.9% to 15.1%.Additionally, the bank stated that it had no plans to issue a tender offer for Banco BPM stock, thus it would not be pressuring stockholders to sell. Although the French lender is now Banco BPM's top investor, this suggests that a large-scale takeover is not on its near agenda. In a statement, the French bank stated, "This transaction is consistent with Crédit Agricole's strategy as a long-term investor and partner of Banco BPM." "It strengthens the solid industrial partnerships in consumer finance and in non-life, personal protection and creditor protection insurance, and highlights Crédit Agricole's appreciation of Banco BPM's intrinsic qualities, ie a solid business franchise with positive financial prospects."  

The CEO says Mubadala would concentrate on projects in Asia.

Khaldoon Al Mubarak, the CEO and managing director of the Abu Dhabi wealth fund Mubadala Investment Company, has stated that the company will concentrate on investments in Asia.At the Milken Institute Middle East and Africa summit, Al Mubarak stated, "Asia in general, we are under-invested," according to Reuters."You need to have a very strong perspective on India and the South-East because that's where growth is and where the population is increasing," he stated.Mubadala has made $4 billion in investments in India, including in the telecom and retail companies of billionaire Mukesh Ambani and the renewable energy division of Tata Power. To further solidify the expanding business ties between the UAE and China, the Emirati wealth fund formally opened an office in Beijing in September. According to Al Mubarak, Mubadala has about $20 billion in exposure to the US asset class and is concentrating on private lending and artificial intelligence (AI). According to him, the fund manages $330 billion in assets. This month, Mubadala Capital, the company's alternative asset management division, committed more than $1 billion in funding over time to purchase a 42% share in US credit asset manager Silver Rock Financial.