Adds: TopBuild Corp, PIB Group, Cenovus Energy Updates: SoftBank Group
October 8 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 1330 GMT on Wednesday :
** TopBuild Corp <BLD.N> said it has acquired Specialty Products and Insulation (SPI) for $1 billion in cash, about a year after the two building materials makers terminated an initial agreement over antitrust concerns.
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** PIB Group has expanded its presence in the Channel Islands with the acquisition of Guernsey-based general insurance specialist Ross Gower Group.
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** Cenovus Energy <CVE.TO> sweetened its offer to acquire MEG Energy <MEG.TO>, raising the value of its proposed deal to C$8.6 billion ($6.16 billion), including debt, in an attempt to match a rival bid from Strathcona Resources <SCR.TO>.
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** SoftBank Group <9984.T> has agreed to buy the robotics business of Swiss engineering group ABB <ABBN.S> in a $5.4 billion deal, as the Japanese investor forges ahead with a strategy to fuse robotics and artificial intelligence.
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** Germany's Helsing will acquire Australian underwater drone maker Blue Ocean, the defence startup said, as it looks to expand its AI-powered autonomous systems in the marine sector.
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** Belgian metal recycling group Umicore <UMI.BR> plans to sell its permanent gold inventories for about 410 million euros ($476 million) in a bid to capitalize on the metal's record prices, it said.
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** Singapore's Keppel REIT <KASA.SI> announced that it plans to acquire a 75% stake in Sydney's Top Ryde City Shopping Centre for a gross purchase price of A$393.8 million ($259 million), marking a major push into non-discretionary retail.
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** British philanthropist Lynn Forester de Rothschild is looking to offload her family's entire stake in global media and information company The Economist, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing a source familiar with the transaction.
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** Atlanta-based third-party administration (TPA) Engle Martin & Associates has acquired specialty international loss adjusting firm Integra Technical Services Group.
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(Compiled by Sahil Pandey and Rajarshi Roy in Bengaluru)
((Sahil.Pandey@thomsonreuters.com))