VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Oil producer QEP Resources Inc said on Monday it would spin off its pipeline business, bowing to pressure from activist hedge fund Jana Partners LLC.

NCR Corporation announced that it had agreed to purchase Digital Insight Corporation for $1.65 billion, and that it had completed the acquisition of Alaric Systems Limited, for approximately $84 million.

Australian insurer Cover-More Group is seeking to raise A$521.2 million in an initial public offering by selling up to 260.6 million shares at A$2 each, according to a prospectus lodged on Monday.

Various private equity firms from the UK, US and Hong Kong are reportedly among those who placed initial bids to takeover Indian business process outsourcing company SourceHOV. Initial bids have valued the BPO firm at USD1 billion.

The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported on Friday including Statoil, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, ThyssenKrupp, Mercator, Avivasa Emeklilik, Hayat Sigorta, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, Telus Corp, Atrium Innovations and John Hardy

British media and education group Pearson has agreed to sell its Mergermarket news service for 382 million pounds ($624 million), to invest in its global education business.

U.S. hedge fund Cerberus has bought a 1 billion euro ($1.4 billion) book of commercial real estate loans from Lloyds Banking Group at a 21 percent discount to their nominal value, the UK bank said on Friday.

Atrium Innovations Inc said a group of investors, including European private equity firm Permira funds, would buy the dietary supplements maker for about C$751.2 million.

A statement by investment firm Vasari said its chairman, Vivian Imerman, has shown interest in acquiring Whyte & Mackay should Diageo chose to divest them in order to comply with competition concerns.

Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude. A Wall Street Journal report from Shasha Dai shared what private equity professionals were most thankful for this year.

Christer Gardell, who co-founded Europe's biggest activist investor Cevian Capital, expects a burst of activity in mergers and acquisitions next year as corporate confidence returns.

Private equity firms T. Rowe Price Group Inc, Magnetar Capital LLC and over 100 shareholders of Dell Inc invoked their rights for an appraisal of their collective 2.7% interest in the company through the Delaware court system in contest of the USD24.9 billion buyout of Dell.

Illinois-based giant pork producer The Mashhoffs inked a definitive agreement to acquire Midwest poultry producer GNP Company in a deal that will provide the capital that GNP needs for its growth.

23andMe Chief Executive Officer Anne Wojcicki defended her company's genetic testing product and stands by the data on the accuracy of their results after the public warning letter issued by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Royal Bank of Scotland said it sold its remaining stake of about 20 percent in WorldPay to the payment processing firm's majority shareholders, private equity firms Advent International and Bain Capital.