Reuters Deals Today: May 31, 2017

Click to View in Browser Wednesday, May 31, 2017 Berlin urges Linde to consider workers' views in Praxair merger BERLIN (Reuters) - German Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries urged German industrial gases group Linde on Wednesday not to force through a planned $73 billion merger with U.S. peer Praxair against the will of German workers. ChemChina gets nearly 95 percent of Syngenta, seeks more ZURICH (Reuters) - ChemChina has accumulated nearly 95 percent of shares in Swiss pesticides and seeds group Syngenta as part of its $43 billion tender offer, China's biggest foreign takeover to date. LafargeHolcim to launch Swiss share buyback on June 1 ZURICH (Reuters) - LafargeHolcim will start on June 1 its share buyback program worth up to 1 billion Swiss francs ($1.03 billion), the world's biggest cement group said on Wednesday. Restaurant chain Vapiano plans share sell to accelerate expansion FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German-owned Vapiano SE is planning an initial public offering this year to raise 85 million euros ($95 million) to help fund the expansion of its Italian-themed restaurants. Spain's Abertis says company has not received offer for Cellnex MADRID (Reuters) - A spokeswoman for Spain's Abertis said on Wednesday that the company has not received an offer for its stake in Cellnex following a report that American Towers may be interested. Saudi British Bank picks Goldman for Alawwal merger: sources DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi British Bank (SABB) has appointed U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs to advise on a proposed merger with fellow Saudi Arabian lender Alawwal Bank , sources familiar with the matter said. British Columbia political alliance vows to block pipeline expansion VICTORIA, British Columbia (Reuters) - The two parties set to take power in Canada's Pacific province of British Columbia vowed on Tuesday to block Kinder Morgan Inc's plans to expand an oil pipeline, setting up a fight with energy-rich Alberta and the federal government. Payments firm First Data to acquire CardConnect for $750 million: companies NEW YORK (Reuters) - First Data Corp has agreed to acquire smaller payments processing peer CardConnect Corp in a deal worth around $750 million, the companies said on Tuesday. China's Zhong An aims to raise at least $1 billion in Hong Kong IPO - sources HONG KONG (Reuters) - Zhong An Online Property and Casualty Insurance, China's first online-only insurer, has resumed a plan to raise $1 billion or more in a Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) in the second half of this year, said two people with knowledge of the matter. HGGC to buy majority stake in Idera, values firm over $1 billion: sources SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Private equity firm HGGC has agreed to take a majority stake in database software firm Idera, valuing the company at roughly $1.125 billion including debt, according to sources familiar with the matter. Related Video Uber fires self-driving car chief at center of court case Critics target Goldman Sachs after Venezuelan bond deal Related News Wall St. pulls back from record; utilities slump U.S. consumer confidence rises in December Make sense of the market with highlights of valuable financial information and reports along with compelling investment insights. Register Today Get a jump on the day with our early morning summary of key news developments for the US markets, as well as global market news. Register Today » » MORE NEWSLETTERS - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2017 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add newsletters@email.reuters.com to your address book. Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook