LONDON (Reuters) – Glencore GLEN.UL, the world’s largest commodities trader, is briefing analysts ahead of a possible flotation that could be one of the biggest listings ever seen in London, sources familiar with the situation said.

If it goes ahead, an initial public offering (IPO) of Glencore could value the company at as much as $60 billion, according to Liberum Capital estimates.

LONDON (Reuters) – Taconic Capital Advisors, the $7 billion (4 billion pounds)-plus New York hedge fund, has taken a significant stake in Rupert Murdoch’s buyout target, British Sky Broadcasting Group Plc (BSY.L: Quote, Profile, Research), regulatory filings this week show.

Murdoch’s News Corp (NWSA.O: Quote, Profile, Research) is seeking to buy the 61 percent of BSkyB it does not already own, and is waiting to hear from Britain’s government if it will be able to avoid a full, six-month competition inquiry. [ID:nLDE7040N6] Taconic has bought more than 20.7 million shares in BSkyB, giving it a stake of about 1.1814 percent, the latest filing, made on Thursday, shows. At Thursday’s closing price of 757.5 pence, the stake is worth about 156.86 million pounds ($254.3 million), according to Reuters calculations.

LONDON, Feb 24 (Reuters) – Taconic Capital Advisors, the $7
billion-plus New York hedge fund, has taken a significant stake
in Rupert Murdoch’s buyout target, British Sky Broadcasting
Group Plc (BSY.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), regulatory filings this week show.

Murdoch’s News Corp (NWSA.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) is seeking to buy the 61
percent of BSkyB it does not already own, and is waiting to hear
from Britain’s government if it will be able to avoid a full,
six-month competition inquiry. [ID:nLDE7040N6]
Taconic has bought more than 20.7 million shares in BSkyB,
giving it a stake of about 1.1814 percent, the latest filing,
made on Thursday, shows. At Thursday’s closing price of 757.5
pence, the stake is worth about 156.86 million pounds ($254.3
million), according to Reuters calculations.

LONDON (Reuters) – About 20 bidders are readying offers for all or parts of Astra Tech, the dental and medical devices unit that AstraZeneca Plc (AZN.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) hopes could fetch $2 billion, people familiar with the matter said.

Astra Tech, which had revenues last year of $535 million, is the world’s third-biggest dental implant maker behind Switzerland’s Straumann Holding (STMN.S: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Nobel Biocare Holding (NOBN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz). It also sells medical devices, focusing chiefly on urology.

LONDON/AMSTERDAM, Feb 22 (Reuters) – Vattenfall AB ,
Europe’s fifth-largest electricity producer, has hired
investment banks to sell businesses worth more than 3 billion
euros ($4.1 billion), people familiar with the matter said.
The state-owned Swedish power giant has been reviewing
“non-core” businesses since September, as it looks to boost
profitability partly by reversing a decade of overseas
expansion.

Vattenfall [VATN.UL] wants to bolster its balance sheet, cut
carbon emissions and sharpen its focus on three key markets –
Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands.

LONDON/PHILADELPHIA, Feb 16 (Reuters) – Banks including
Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan stand to earn up to $125 million in
fees after Sanofi-Aventis SA (SASY.PA: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) finally clinched a $20.1
billion-plus deal to buy Genzyme Corp (GENZ.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz).
[ID:nLDE71F046]

Sanofi’s banks may earn $50 million to $60 million for
their mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advice, while Genzyme’s
financial advisers could make $53 million to $65 million,
according to estimates by Freeman & Co, a consultancy.

LONDON/PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – Banks including Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan stand to earn as much as $125 million in fees after Sanofi-Aventis SA finally clinched a $20.1 billion-plus deal to buy Genzyme Corp.

Sanofi’s banks may earn $50 to $60 million in fees for their mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advice, while Genzyme’s financial advisers could make $53 to $65 million, according to estimates from Freeman & Co, a consultancy.

LONDON/PHILADELPHIA, Feb 16 (Reuters) – Banks including
Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan stand to earn as much as $125 million
in fees after Sanofi-Aventis SA (SASY.PA: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) finally clinched a
$20.1 billion-plus deal to buy Genzyme Corp (GENZ.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz).
[ID:nLDE71F046]

Sanofi’s banks may earn $50 to $60 million in fees for their
mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advice, while Genzyme’s financial
advisers could make $53 to $65 million, according to estimates
from Freeman & Co, a consultancy.

LONDON (Reuters) – The private equity owners of Raet, the biggest Dutch provider of payroll and human resources software, are planning a 400 million euro-plus ($542 million) sale, people familiar with the matter said.

Raet’s owners, Dutch buyout firm Taros Capital and global private equity firm Advent International, have interviewed banks recently in preparation for a sale, the people said on Monday. An auction could begin as soon as April, one said.

COPENHAGEN/LONDON, Feb 11 (Reuters) – U.S. chemicals giant
DuPont (DD.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) came under more pressure to raise its $5.8 billion
bid for Denmark’s Danisco (DCO.CO: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) after U.S. hedge fund Elliott
Associates joined shareholders opposed to the offer.

Elliott wrote to the board of Danisco, which makes food
ingredients and enzymes, saying DuPont’s 665 crowns-a-share
offer was a “shameful betrayal” of shareholders and was “very
unlikely” to succeed.