Business news with words agreed+million. 60 or more news.

Transmeridian Exploration agreed to be acquired by its chief executive's Trans Meridian International in a deal that values the energy company at $350 million.

Merrill Lynch's sale of two life-insurance units to Dutch insurance and investment-products provider Aegon has closed, with the $1.25 billion pricetag being $50 million less than the two parties agreed to in August.

CHINA'S securities watchdog has rejected Microsoft Corp's plan to acquire a stake in Sichuan Changhong Electric Co. Changhong, China's second-largest television set maker, told the Shanghai Stock Exchange yesterday that the China Securities Regulatory Commission had blocked its plan to sell new shares to investors, including Microsoft. The plan was submitted to the regulator on Thursday. Shanghai Daily's calls to Changhong for comment were not answered. Microsoft has agreed pay 94 million yuan (US$12.84 million) for a stake in Changhong after the Chinese company revealed the plan to sell 400 million shares at 6.27 yuan to 10 institutional investors in April. Under the deal, the world's biggest software maker will buy 15 million newly issued Changhong shares at 6.27 yuan for a one percent-stake in the TV maker in Sichuan Province. Both companies will join a Media Galaxy project to develop, produce and market TVs, computers, and other digital entertainment products that would

NEW YORK/AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc, in its second acquisition this week, agreed to buy the NRG NV reinsurance unit of ING Group NV for about 300 million euros ($441 million).

Reuters - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc(BRKa.N)(BRKb.N), in its second acquisition this week, agreed to buy the NRG NV reinsurance unit of ING Group NV for about 300 million euros ($441 million).

Futures and options broker MF Global Ltd. agreed Wednesday to pay more than US$77 million (euro53.5 million) to settle federal charges that it failed to watch over a hedge fund charged with fraud more than two years ago.

EIGHTEEN provinces, regions and municipalities have signed agreements to limit outdated steel-making capacity to 36.1 million tons by 2010, as China imposes a tough stance to boost efficiency and cut pollution in the industry. The provinces, regions and municipalities, including the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Tianjin, along with Shanghai-based Baosteel Group Corp, also agreed to shut 49.3 million tons of iron-making capacity by that time, the National Development and Reform Commission said. China's crude steel output is estimated at 490 million tons this year. "The affected capacities for Baosteel to close will mainly be those belonging to the group, not in the listed arm," a Baosteel representative said. The NDRC, China's top industry planner, in April signed similar agreements with local governments in 10 provinces and municipalities, requiring them to close 41.7 million tons of outdated steel capacity by 2010, in which 24.2 million tons are allocated for

Air Astana, a venture between the Kazakh government and BAE Systems, agreed to buy nine Airbus and Boeing jetliners to help meet surging travel demand in Kazakhstan. The six Airbus A320s and three Boeing 787-8s have a combined catalog price of $950 million, Air Astana said in an e-mailed statement. Deliveries will start in 2012, it said.

UNITED Rentals Inc has agreed to accept a US$100 million breakup fee from Cerberus Capital Management LP, ending a six week battle over whether Cerberus could call off a US$4 billion acquisition of the largest US equipment-rental company. United Rentals rose 4.4 percent in New York trading after a 17 percent decline on December 21, when a Delaware Chancery Court judge ruled that private-equity firm Cerberus had the right to break off the takeover, Bloomberg News reported. United Rentals said it would not appeal and Cerberus said it would pay the fee. Cerberus agreed in July to pay US$34.50 per share for United Rentals' stock and backed out in November. Judge William B. Chandler III ruled last week that United Rentals should have known Cerberus had a right to pull out if it paid the US$100 million fee. "The decision out of Delaware was very clear," said Carl Tobias, a professor with the University of Richmond.

Shanghai Automotive Industry agreed to buy Nanjing Automobile Group's auto-assembly and component-making businesses for $286 million.

Liquidity Services Inc., an online auction marketplace for wholesale, surplus and salvage assets, has agreed to acquire Information Management Specialists Inc. and its GovDeals Inc. subsidiary for about $10 million in cash. (LQDT)

TEL AVIV (MarketWatch) -- Neurogesx Inc., the San Mateo, Calif., biotech company focused on pain-management therapies, agreed to privately place $25 million of stock and warrants. A group of institutional investors agreed to buy more than 4 million shares at $6.18 each, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. And the investors also received five-year warrants to buy more than 1.2 million more Neurogesx shares at an exercise price of $8.034 each. Neurogesx shares closed Monday at $6.04. Pacific Growth Equities placed the shares.

SHANGHAI Automotive Industry Corp (Group) today signed a deal to buy Nanjing Automobile Group Corp's auto-assembly and component-making businesses and become China's biggest auto maker. SAIC Motor Corp, the listed unit of Shanghai Auto, gave 320 million shares of SAIC Motor and 2.1 billion yuan (US$286 million) to buy the assets, the two companies said in a signing ceremony in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The 320 million shares account for 4.88 percent of SAIC's total shares. The duo also agreed to set up a joint venture to oversee other businesses of Nanjing Auto, including services, trade and assets, the two companies said in a statement. Nanjing Auto will own 25 percent of the joint venture Dong Hua Co, according to the statement. "Both sides will complement each other as well as share their resources in terms of funding, research and development, marketing, manufacturing and procurement,'' the statement said. The deal will boost the combined sales of

Cerberus Capital Management L.P. agreed Monday to pay United Rentals Inc. a US$100 million (euro69.4 million) breakup fee for dropping its US$4 billion (euro2.78 billion) purchase of the equipment-rental company.

DELEK Real Estate Ltd, the Israeli company that backed out of a US$2.9-billion deal with Jelmoli AG, has agreed to buy 12 Frankfurt-area supermarkets from Metro AG, Germany's biggest retailer, for 243 million euros (US$349 million), Bloomberg News reported on Sunday. Delek, through its Delek Global Real Estate unit, will acquire the buildings from the Real supermarket chain, a subsidiary of Metro, the Netanya, Israel-based company said in an e-mailed statement to the stock exchange. Real will rent 10 of the supermarkets from Delek through 2022, and the other two through 2020, beginning at 16 million euros annually for all the properties. The rent will increase 6.7 percent every five years. "DGRE has again purchased a property with a quality tenant for a long period in a central area, and proved that even in these times it can use its connections to close deals and get good financing," Chief Executive Officer Ilik Rozanski said in the statement. Delek Real Estate, a

United Rentals Inc. agreed to accept a $100 million breakup fee from Cerberus Capital Management LP, ending a six-week battle over whether Cerberus could call off a $4 billion acquisition of the largest US equipment-rental company. United Rentals...

TEL AVIV (MarketWatch) -- Ampal-American Israel Corp., the Tel Aviv investment firm, took an option to acquire a 35% interest in a project to produce ethanol from sugarcane from a company controlled by Ampal's chairman, president and chief executive officer. Separately, that company, Merhav, agreed to sell 25% to 35% of the project to Ecopetrol SA of Colombia. Terms of both deals weren't disclosed. Ampal said the move will add to its interests in clean energy and in the broader energy industry. As part of the option deal, Ampal has loaned Merhav $10 million to buy 11,000 hectares (27,000 acres) in Colombia for growing sugarcane and to build the ethanol facility. And Ampal agreed to advance as much as $10 million more to fund the project, it said in a Tuesday statement. Yosef Maiman, who holds the top three posts at Ampal, is sole owner of Merhav. A panel made up of Ampal's independent directors approved the deal. Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin advised the board committeee, Ampal said.

TEL AVIV (MarketWatch) -- W&T Offshore Inc. agreed to acquire the interest it doesn't own in Ship Shoal 349 field, located offshore Louisiana and covering two federal lease blocks, for $116 million from Apache Corp. W&T and Apache, both Houston energy companies, expect to close the deal by April 30. W&T said in a Monday statement that it would finance the deal from cash on hand.

United Rentals Inc. agreed to accept a $100 million breakup fee from Cerberus Capital Management LP, ending a six-week battle over whether Cerberus could call off a $4 billion acquisition of the largest U.S. equipment-rental company.

Cerberus Capital Management agreed Monday to pay United Rentals a $100 million breakup fee for dropping its $4 billion purchase of the equipment-rental...