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
* French payment processing company Ingenico Group SA entered into exclusive negotiations with Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe to merge the latter's Germany-based payment provider unit BS PAYONE GmbH with Ingenico Retail assets in the Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The combined entity will be 52%-owned and consolidated by Ingenico Group, while BS PAYONE will get the remaining 48% minority stake.
* Russian Railways is in discussions with four potential buyers, who are said to be PAO Sberbank of Russia, VTB Bank (PJSC), AO Gazprombank and PJSC State Transport Leasing Co., for the assets of its units TransFin-M OJSC and Absolut Bank (PAO), insiders told Reuters.
* Ukrainian businessmen Oleksandr Yaroslavsky and Viktor Pinchuk, as well as a U.K. investment fund, showed interest in acquiring Sberbank of Russia's Ukrainian unit Sberbank JSC and already sent their offers to the Russian parent, but have not yet submitted sale documents to the Ukrainian central bank, Kommersant reported.
* Ardonagh Group Ltd. is reportedly seeking to divest its general commercial managing general agent business in the U.K., with Aviva PLC, Axa, Allianz Group and RSA Insurance Group PLC said to be among the likely bidders.
* VTB Bank is revisiting the idea of acquiring Vozrozhdenie Bank at the request of the Russian central bank, Vedomosti reported.
* Barclays PLC is exploring a potential merger with rival banks. Those theoretically in the frame include fellow British lender Standard Chartered PLC, Germany's Deutsche Bank AG, Switzerland's Credit Suisse Group AG and Singapore's DBS Group Holdings Ltd. as part of contingency plans in response to pressure from activist investor Edward Bramson, insiders told the Financial Times.
* ING Groep NV's Polish unit ING Bank Slaski SA is looking to buy local investment fund managers Union Investment TFI and NN Investment Partners TFI.
Middle East and Africa
* Oman International Development & Investment Co. SAOG unit Oman Arab Bank SAOC and Alizz Islamic Bank SAOG are exploring a potential strategic collaboration that could lead to a merger.
* Egypt-based Beltone Financial Holding SAE is considering acquiring a significant stake in Togo-based African banking group Oragroup SA and intends to sign a nonbinding offer for a possible transaction.
Rest of the world
* Kuwait's Noor Financial Investment Co. is in discussions with six global investors including New York-based Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb Inc., London-based RWC Partners Ltd. and Sweden-based Tundra Fonder AB to sell a combined 9.59% stake in Pakistan-based Meezan Bank Ltd., insiders told Reuters.

