S&P Global Market Intelligence presents In Play Today, a periodic summary of potential deal activity in the financial sectors of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. This summary, which is displayed according to the location of a target's headquarters, is based on information obtained by S&P Global Market Intelligence and may not be inclusive of all potential deal activity.

Europe
* Deutsche Bank AG is set to sell its prime brokerage unit to BNP Paribas SA, with the potential transaction to entail the transfer of assets worth tens of billions of euros, insiders told the Financial Times. BNP Paribas would reportedly pay a nominal amount for the potential deal.
* Société Générale SA is considering options for its Lyxor Asset Management SAS unit, including a potential sale or merger, insiders told Bloomberg News.
* Nova Ljubljanska banka d.d. and KBC Group NV are exploring opportunities to sell Slovenia's second-largest life insurer, NLB Vita d.d., to a single potential buyer. NLB and KBC unit KBC Verzekeringen NV each have a 50% stake in NLB Vita.
* U.K. insurance broker Global Risk Partners Ltd. is looking at options for partial sale and reinvestment as private equity backer Penta Capital nears the end of its traditional investment period, Insurance Age reported. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., Willis Towers Watson PLC, Aon PLC and a number of private equity houses are reportedly among the entities interested in Global Risk Partners.
* U.K.-based investment and financial planning services provider Tilney Group Ltd confirmed media speculation that it was engaged in exclusive discussions with Smith & Williamson Holdings Ltd. to merge. A merger would create an entity with combined assets under management of more than £45 billion.
* Top managers of Russian sanctions-hit JSCB Evrofinance-Mosnarbank Bank JSC are interested in acquiring VTB Bank PJSC and AO Gazprombank's stakes in the lender, news agency Prime reported, citing Russian Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseev. Moiseev said other lenders have also expressed an interest in purchasing the stakes.
* Qiwi PLC, which provides payment services in Russia, has decided to explore opportunities for the partial or complete sale of unit RocketBank LLC.
Middle East
* IDB Development Corp. Ltd. has received a binding offer to acquire up to 26% of Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd. on better terms from Epsilon Underwriting and Issuing, Poalim IBI Management and Underwriting, Leader Underwriting and Barak Capital Ltd., after it rejected an earlier offer from the same group, according to Globes.
Rest of the world
* HSBC Holdings PLC is looking at making a bid for the Asian operations that Aviva PLC might off-load, Bloomberg reported.
* Barclays PLC is in discussions to sell its automated options trading business in New York to U.S.-based electronic market maker GTS Securities LLC, insiders told Bloomberg.
* Zurich Insurance Group AG is considering a divestiture of its Chicago-domiciled U.S. life insurance business Zurich American Life Insurance Co., The Insurance Insider reported.
