Cookson, the industrial conglomerate, has received informal approaches for its precious metals business. The division is estimated to be worth up to £400m and trade buyers and venture capitalists hav... [more]

Vodafone has received a number of approaches for Arcor, its under performing German fixed-line telecoms operation. By selling this non-core operation, inherited with the £138bn acquisition of Mannesma... [more]

William Jacks has sold its Savernake Mercedes-Benz dealership in Newbury to Sytner Group for £1.5m and transferred the Sunningdale Carriage company in Sunningdale to the Greenoaks Maidenhead subsidiar... [more]

Anite is to acquire Lorien Consulting, the Surrey-based IT and customer loyalty consultancy, from Lorien for up to £4.8m.... [more]

Marconi has sold its Data Systems ink-jet printing business to Danaher Corporation of the US for £277m.... [more]

Norsk Hydro, Norway's largest industrial conglomerate, has launched a $1.1bn divestment programme following weak aluminium markets and restructuring charges. This follows its recent acquisition of VAW... [more]

Invensys has sold the Integral Horsepower Motor division of Brook Crompton to Lindeteves-Jacoberg of Singapore for £17m.... [more]

Centrica has acquired Iomart's broadband telecoms reselling business, which includes two customer service facilities and 40 staff, for £2m.... [more]

United Business Media has acquired Cozint, the healthcare research and consulting group, from ZS Associates for £7m.... [more]

Halcrow has acquired TME Torpy, the former building services subsidiary of Enron, for undisclosed terms.... [more]

Future Network has sold its Silver Shark magazine publishing business in Poland to Wydawnictwo H Bauer for £2m.... [more]

Screen has acquired Joyce-Loebl, the Gateshead-based developer of the SmartSeat entertainment system for trains and arenas, for £3.2m.... [more]

Lookers is selling its SMAC Continental Mercedes-Benz dealership in Southend for about £5m.... [more]

Babcock International has sold its cement handling business to Langley Holdings for £0.5m, and is now negotiating the sale of its AKI plasterboard drying equipment business.... [more]

Speedy Hire is planning to buy Jewson's Hire Point network of 20 branches from Saint Gobain for £13m, increasing its chain of hire centres to more than 250.... [more]

European Telecom has bought Philips' GSM handset distribution business in France for £0.3m.... [more]

Apax Partners is to acquire Azimut, the fund management business of Italian bank Bipop-Carire for £230m.... [more]