Deals of the day-Mergers and acquisitions

(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 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. ** PIB Group has expanded its presence in the Channel Islands with the acquisition of Guernsey-based general insurance specialist Ross Gower Group. ** Cenovus Energy sweetened its offer to acquire MEG Energy, 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. ** SoftBank Group has agreed to buy the robotics business of Swiss engineering group ABB in a $5.4 billion deal, as the Japanese investor forges ahead with a strategy to fuse robotics and artificial intelligence. ** 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. ** Belgian metal recycling group Umicore 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. ** Singapore's Keppel REIT 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. ** 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. ** Atlanta-based third-party administration (TPA) Engle Martin & Associates has acquired specialty international loss adjusting firm Integra Technical Services Group. (Compiled by Sahil Pandey and Rajarshi Roy in Bengaluru)

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