The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals involving European, U.S. and Asian companies were reported by 1000 GMT on Monday:

** Chinese Internet entrepreneur Jack Ma is buying back up to half of a 40 percent stake in his Alibaba Group from Yahoo Inc for $7.1 billion, in a deal that moves the Chinese e-commerce leader closer to a public listing.

** DaVita Inc, the biggest U.S. operator of dialysis clinics, has agreed to buy privately held HealthCare Partners for about $4.42 billion in cash and stock to expand into new markets to help offset potential revenue pressures in its main business.

** Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group agreed to buy AMC Entertainment for $2.6 billion, including debt, making it the biggest theatre operator in the United States.

** Man Group is to buy London-based investment firm FRM as the struggling hedge fund manager, which has been criticised for overpaying and a poor choice of deals in the past, seeks to reduce dependence on its flagship computer-driven fund.

** Norwegian oil services firm Aker Solutions has agreed to buy a Dubai-based oil services firm, hoping to improve its recent weak track record of winning contracts in the world's top oil producing region.

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