RBS-led group lifts cash part of $98 bln ABN bid

(Reuters) - LONDON/AMSTERDAM, July 16 - A consortium led by Royal Bank of Scotland on Monday kept its offer to buy Dutch bank ABM AMRO at 71.1 billion euros but raised the amount of cash it is offering after having to exclude ABN's U.S. arm from the purchase.



The offer is above a rival bid from Britain's Barclays that is worth about 64 billion euros , which has been recommended by ABN's board.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

India's Jaiprakash Hires Barclays for $400 Million Convertible Bond Sale

(Bloomberg) -- Jaiprakash Associates Ltd., India's
biggest builder of dams, hired Barclays Capital to sell as much
as $400 million of convertible bonds, according to an e-mail sent
to investors.

The company plans to allow investors to convert the five-
year zero-coupon bonds into its shares at a premium of 45 percent
to 50 percent to the volume-weighted average price today, the e-
mail shows. Barclays Capital will offer $300 million of the
securities and can increase the sale by $100 million.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

Borders unit attracts trade, private equity interest

(Reuters) - "It has attracted a lot of interest from parties in
Australia and overseas, including trade and private equity,"
Lawrentschuck told Reuters, adding that Borders' Australian and
New Zealand operations were performing very well.




Borders, the second-largest U.S. bookstore chain, said in
March it would consider selling most of its overseas stores as
it focuses on its loss-making U.S. operations.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

European Stocks May Fall; Volkswagen, Lufthansa, Rio Tinto Might Decline

(Bloomberg) -- European stocks may decline for the
first time in three days as crude oil traded near an 11-month
high. U.S.-traded securities of Volkswagen AG, the region's
biggest carmaker, and airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG slipped.

Rio Tinto Group, the world's third-largest mining company,
dropped in Australia after Citigroup Inc. cut its recommendation
on the shares. Royal Philips Electronics NV may be active after
saying second-quarter profit rose fivefold.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Asian Stocks Fall From a Record; Samsung, Hon Hai Lead Technology Losses

(Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks fell, dragging a
regional benchmark from a record, as a slide in technology
shares countered gains in energy-related companies.

Samsung Electronics Co., which ended last week at a 15-
month high, plunged the most in three years after memory-chip
prices fell. Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., the world's largest
contract electronics manufacturer, slid the most in four months
after a newspaper said it may buy a stake in LG.Philips LCD Co.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Total sees Shtokman investment at $4-5 bln -report

(Reuters) - Under the deal, Total will receive a 25 percent stake in the
company that will build and own the pipes rigs and other
infrastructure for the first phase of development of the
Shtokman field.




Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 Index Drops, Led by Rio Tinto Group, BHP Billiton

(Bloomberg) -- Australian stocks fell. Rio Tinto
Group dropped for a second day on concern its $38.1 billion bid
for Alcan Inc. will increase its debt, while BHP Billion Ltd.
declined on concerns recent gains have outstripped earnings.

``With Rio, there's no doubt takeovers are generally more
positive for the acquired stock than the acquirer,'' said Shane
Oliver, who helps manage the equivalent of $83 billion at AMP
Capital Investors in Sydney. ``The market may be concerned about
the increased debt factor.''


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News