Rexam is to sell two beverage can plants in Runcorn and France to Schmalbach-Lubeca of Germany for £52m in order to win approval forthe acquisition of American National Can... [more]

ECsoft has bought S17 the Swedish IT services company with 63 staff from Framfab in order to strengthen its back-office systems and project management operations in Sweden... [more]

United Business Media has acquired a 50% stake in the Dutch national news agency's press release distribution division ANPPS for £3.9m... [more]

CPP Holdings has acquired Homecare Holdings the mobile phone insurance subsidiary of Miller Fisher for undisclosed terms... [more]

Bunzl is to acquire the carrier bag supply business of British Polythene for up to £8.5m... [more]

Weir has sold its computer division to Maxima of Cheltenham for undisclosed terms while three units are being closed with the loss of 335 jobs - Tooling Products in Hampshire G Perry in Leicester and ... [more]

Taylor Woodrow is to sell its Australian housebuilding business to Stockland for £31m in order to focus on the UK and North America. ... [more]

Marconi is planning to shed a further 4000 jobs from its worldwide workforce including 570 at a plant in Poole and has also announced the sale of its medical systems division to Philips for £780m... [more]

Edinburgh Fund Managers has acquired Portfolio Fund Management from Liberty International for up to £20m... [more]

Hanover International is to buy the Sundridge Park conference and training centre in Kent from PA Consulting for £15m... [more]

Kingfisher is to sell its Superdrug health and beauty stores to Kruidvat of the Netherlands for £310m... [more]

Centrica has acquired the UK division of One.Tel the Australian telecoms company that went into administration in May for £58m... [more]

Emap has sold its Petersen magazine division in the US to Primedia for £366m in order to focus on its core activities in the UK and France. ... [more]

Smiths Group has sold its Eschmann medical equipment business which employs 230 people in West Sussex and Singapore to a group of private investors for £11m... [more]

Union has sold its margin share trading and foreign exchange operations to Man Financial for £1.8m... [more]

Inter Link Foods has taken up its longstanding option to buy the William Lusty bakery from Bank of Scotland for £0.4m... [more]

Powell Duffryn is to sell Geesink Norba the Dutch manufacturer of refuse vehicles to Oshkosh Truck of the US for £91m in order to focus on ports and shipping... [more]

Serco is to acquire AEA Technology's technical consulting division for about £75m... [more]

Morgan Grenfell Private Equity is to put a package of 70 pubs up for sale, including the Dome chain of cafe-bars, following its £1.6bn acquisition of Whitbread's bars division. Its investment will be... [more]

Belgian brewer Interbrew could offer to sell Britain's biggest-selling beer, Carling, in an attempt to win approval for its takeover of Bass Brewers, according to City sources. It is believed that Car... [more]