As takeover talks between Apollo and RPC Group [LON:RPC] approach their fifth put-up-or-shut-up (PUSU) deadline, the prospects of a deal look little better than a coin toss, according to historical success rates tracked by Dealreporter. Average success rates on deals which extend beyond the initial 28-day PUSU deadline are around 60%, according to Dealreporter

European spin-off activity is set to continue briskly next year as businesses such as automotive suppliers strive to re-rate in the face of industrial disruption and pre-empt activism incursions, market practitioners say. A range of demergers occurred in 2018 across a variety of sectors in Europe, including asset management firm Quilter’s [LON:QLT]

  Financial sponsor Siris Capital is pursuing Travelport Worldwide [NYSE:TVPT] as the company explores a sale, said three sources familiar with the situation.   A second private equity firm is also looking at the UK-based travel technology services provider, two of these sources said. One of the sources said that London-based financial sponsor

Shire [LON:SHP] and Takeda’s [TYO: 4502] proposed divestiture package to gain European Commission (EC) merger approval is unlikely to face hurdles in finding a buyer, two industry experts and two lawyers said.   Among the reasons that bidders could find Shire’s Phase 3 SHP647 drug for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) attractive are its clean safety

  Key shareholders of the tracking stock Dell Technologies [NYSE:DVMT] are increasingly hardening against a deal as Dell and its private equity partner have not come to the negotiating table, sources familiar with the matter said.   Activist investor Carl Icahn, who has publicly opposed the deal, told this news service: “Based on our discussion

  The merger between WestRock [NYSE:WRK] and KapStone Paper and Packaging [NYSE:KS] will be approved by the Department of Justice (DoJ) this week without divestitures, this news service has learned.   WestRock, the US-based manufacturer of packing products, recycled paperboard, containerboard, bleached paperboard, and merchandising displays,

  Department of Managed Health Care can reject anticompetitive mergers after 1 January New review includes public hearings, more input from third parties State’s insurance commissioner calling to block deal on competition grounds The massive California agency empowered by a new state law to dissaprove anticompetitve mergers involving

Dealcast is a podcast covering activism, M&A, ECM and other corporate activity. Two years after talks began, Linde [ETR:LIN] and Praxair [NYSE:PX] are still trying to secure two major regulatory clearances for their merger. Chinese approval from SAMR is due within weeks, while the FTC may only clear the deal if the parties exceed their divestiture revenue

TransDigm [NYSE:TDG] is among the parties that has been pursuing Esterline Technologies [NYSE:ESL], the aerospace parts maker exploring a sale, said three sources briefed on the matter.   Second round bids for the Bellevue, Washington-based company are expected to be collected in early October, said one of the sources and a sector advisor.   In

General Electric [NYSE:GE] is in advanced discussions to sell assets in its GE Digital unit to a domestic buyer, said six sources familiar with the situation.   The Boston-based industrials conglomerate is working with JPMorgan as it evaluates options for the business, the sources said. One of the sources said the sale process has been ongoing for