Deals of the day-Mergers and acquisitions

© Reuters.

(Adds BPER Banca, Rockley Photonics)
March 19 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers,
acquisitions and disposals were reported by 2000 GMT on Friday:

** The biggest investor in Italy's BPER Banca EMII.MI said
the bank's future Chief Executive Piero Montani would need time
to assess all merger options, pushing back a long-mooted deal
with rival Banco BPM BAMI.MI . Rockley Photonics Ltd said it would go public through a
merger with blank-check company SC Health Corp SCPE.N in a
deal valuing the silicon photonic chips supplier at a pro-forma
enterprise value of $1.2 billion. ** Property and casualty insurer Chubb Ltd CB.N on
Thursday offered to acquire smaller rival Hartford Financial
Services Group Inc HIG.N in a $23.24 billion cash-and-stock
deal. A Philippine tycoon with close ties to President Rodrigo
Duterte is selling his shares in logistics firm 2GO Group
2GO.PS to conglomerate SM Investments Corp SM.PS in a 6.6
billion pesos ($136 million) buyout, the companies said.
Centrica 's CNA.L British Gas has bought smaller energy
supplier Nabuh Energy, it said without disclosing financial
details. British bicycle and car products retailer Halfords
HFD.L has agreed to buy motoring services provider Universal
Tyre and Autocentres for 15 million pounds ($21 million), it
said. NatWest will buy back 1.1 billion pounds ($1.5 billion)
of its shares from the British government, edging the
state-backed lender further towards private hands as the
government pushes to fully sell off banks bailed out in the
financial crisis. Italy's industry minister said he and France's Bruno Le
Maire had not discussed the idea of Rome buying a stake in
carmaker Stellantis STLA.MI at a meeting. A Japanese fund backed by veteran activist investor
Yoshiaki Murakami has raised its stake in Japan Asia Group (JAG)
ahead of a second takeover bid for the energy and environmental
services firm.