PRESS DIGEST- British Business - March 31

March 31 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on

the business pages of British newspapers. Reuters has not

verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

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UPDATE 2-China's Creat makes 1.2 bln euro bid for German blood plasma firm

* No premium offered for non-voting shares

(Adds CEO comments, advisor names)

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National Bank of Abu Dhabi raises $587 million in green bond debut

LONDON, March 30 (Reuters) - The National Bank of Abu Dhabi

has issued the Gulf region's first green bond, raising

$587 million for projects to fight climate change, the London

Stock Exchange (LSE) said on Thursday.

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AO World raises capital as a buffer against tough markets

LONDON, March 30 (Reuters) - Online retailer AO World

raised 50 million pounds ($62 million) on Thursday to underpin

its balance sheet as it navigates an uncertain outlook in

Britain, its biggest market, and the impact of the lower pound

on supplier prices.

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UPDATE 1-Saudi Aramco formally appoints banks to advise on share sale

LONDON, March 30 (Reuters) - Saudi Aramco has

formally appointed JPMorgan Chase & Co, Morgan Stanley

and HSBC as international financial advisers for

its initial public offering, sources familiar with the matter

told Reuters.

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BRIEF-AO World placing to raise up to 50 mln stg

* Announces a placing to raise up to £50 million, through

issue of up to 42,063,157 new ordinary shares in company

Source text for Eikon:

Further company coverage:

(London Newsroom)

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Saudi Aramco formally appoints banks to advise on share sale

LONDON, March 30 (Reuters) - Saudi Aramco has

formally appointed JPMorgan Chase & Co, Morgan Stanley

and HSBC as international financial advisers for

its initial public offering, expected to be the world's largest

equity sale, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

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Kenyan brewer EABL says medium-term bond oversubscribed

NAIROBI, March 29 (Reuters) - Kenya's East African Breweries

(EABL) got a 141 percent subscription rate for its

five-year corporate bond, the company said on Wednesday.

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UPDATE 2-RBS raises offer to settle 2008 cash call lawsuit

LONDON, March 28 (Reuters) - Royal Bank of Scotland

has nudged up an offer to settle the last of five damages claims

by investors over its record 12 billion pound ($15 billion)

emergency cash call in 2008, two sources familiar with the

situation said on Tuesday.

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Russia's Polyus may hold SPO in Moscow in near future - VTB

MOSCOW, March 29 (Reuters) - Polyus, Russia's

largest gold producer, may hold a secondary share offering in

Moscow in the near future, Yuri Soloviev, first deputy president

of VTB bank, said on Wednesday.

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Barry Meyers to rejoin JPMorgan after almost two years at Barclays

March 24 (Reuters) - Barry Meyers is set to rejoin JPMorgan

Chase & Co. from Barclays Plc to take on the

role of Managing Director of UK Equity Capital Markets (ECM),

according to an internal memo seen by Reuters.

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Initial public offerings in Britain hit 5-year low ahead of Brexit

LONDON, March 28 (Reuters) - Initial public offerings (IPOs)

by companies based in Britain have raised $1.53 billion so far

in 2017, a 28 percent decline on last year and the lowest

year-to-date total since 2012 as Britain prepares to leave the

EU, Thomson Reuters data shows.

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Ireland finance ministry appoints bookrunners for AIB IPO

March 23 (Reuters) - Ireland's finance ministry said on

Thursday it has appointed five banks to act as bookrunners for a

potential share sale of state-owned Allied Irish Banks,

in a further signal it could launch an initial public offering

in the coming weeks.

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Trucking business Eddie Stobart seeks listing on London's AIM

March 23 (Reuters) - Eddie Stobart, known for its fleet of

green and red lorries, is seeking to raise about 130 million

pounds ($163 million) through a listing on London's junior

market, its investors' holding company said on Thursday.

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Anglo American readies bond market return

LONDON, March 21 (IFR) - Anglo American is poised to sell

its first public bond since it was stripped of its

investment-grade status last year following the shock

capitulation of global commodity prices.

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UPDATE 2-Standard Life's CEO to run day-to-day business after Aberdeen merger

LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - Standard Life Chief

Executive Keith Skeoch will oversee its day-to-day running after

it merges with Aberdeen Asset Management, while Aberdeen

boss Martin Gilbert will handle external matters like marketing,

the companies said.

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UAE hospital operator NMC Health to pursue Gulf expansion, debut bond

ABU DHABI, March 20 (Reuters) - United Arab Emirates-based

hospital operator NMC Health plans to expand in Gulf

markets with a debut bond issue to fund acquisitions, its new

chief executive said on Monday.

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Russia's Sistema says it mulls listing its real estate business

MOSCOW, March 20 (Reuters) - Russia's Sistema

conglomerate said it was considering taking its real

estate development business public in 2018-2019.

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CORRECTED-Smaller mining companies seek IPOs but deals remain modest

* Commodity price revival spurs growth in stock market

floats

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Guinness Nigeria seeks green light for $130 mln share sale -CEO

LAGOS, March 15 (Reuters) - Guinness Nigeria

said on Wednesday it had applied to the Nigerian Stock Exchange

to get approval for a share sale to raise 39.7 billion naira

($130 million), its chief executive told Reuters.

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BRIEF-Ardagh's Coulson says IPO price attracted 'top quality' investor base

* says believes IPO priced at 'right level'; company was

keen to bring on right type of investors

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Packaging group Ardagh surges 19 pct in New York debut

DUBLIN, March 15 (Reuters/IFR) - Packaging company Ardagh

Group surged 19 percent in its New York debut on

Wednesday, valuing the firm at about $5.3 billion after it

raised $307.8 million in an initial public offering to help to

pay down debt.

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UPDATE 1-Buyout groups secure funding to pursue Stada bids

FRANKFURT/LONDON, March 15 (Reuters) - Two private equity

consortia vying for control of German generic drugmaker Stada

have lined up funding to back their rival takeover

offers each worth 4.7 billion euros ($5.0 billion) including

debt.

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Buyout groups confirm Stada bids, secure funding - sources

FRANKFURT, March 15 (Reuters) - The two private equity

consortia vying for Stada have made binding takeover

offers each worth 4.7 billion euros ($5.0 billion) including

debt, paving the way for a deeper look into the German generic

drugmaker's books, several people familiar with the matter said.

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UPDATE 3-Activist hedge fund critical of Walt Disney's move on Disneyland Paris

* Disneyland Paris has struggled with losses and debts

(Adds comment from source familiar with the matter)

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Russia's PIK to buy back depositary receipts, delist from LSE

MOSCOW, March 13 (Reuters) - Russian homebuilder PIK Group

said on Monday it had approved a tender

offer for its global depositary receipts (GDRs) and would cancel

their listing on the London Stock Exchange.

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UPDATE 2-UK builder Bovis in talks with Galliford Try after rejecting bids

* Redrow made 814p/share proposal

(Adds details of Redrow offer)

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UK builder Bovis in talks with Galliford Try after rejecting bids

LONDON, March 12 (Reuters) - British homebuilder Bovis

has rejected a bid approach from rival Galliford Try

but remains in negotiations about a possible deal, the

firm said on Sunday, adding it had also rejected a proposal from

another suitor, Redrow.

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CORRECTED-UPDATE 1-Lebanon eyes three tranches for $1.5 bln Eurobond-official

BEIRUT, March 10 (Reuters) - Lebanon's finance ministry has

mandated Barclays Plc, Byblos Bank, Societe Generale de Banque

au Liban and JPMorgan to refinance a $1.5 billion Eurobond with

settlement on March 20 and is planning three tranches, a

ministry official said.

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Barclays executive Compton top earner with $9 mln share award

LONDON, March 9 (Reuters) - Barclays awarded its

chief operating officer Paul Compton shares worth 7.5 million

pounds ($9.11 million), more than the bank's chief executive was

paid in 2016, according to regulatory filings on Thursday.

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UPDATE 1-Austria's Novomatic working with Macquarie on potential IPO -sources

FRANKFURT, March 9 (Reuters) - The private owners of

Austrian gaming technology group Novomatic are

working with Macquarie to prepare an initial public offering

that could value the company at more than 6 billion euros ($6.3

billion), three sources familiar with the matter said.

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Shell's CEO Van Beurden total pay jumps in 2016

LONDON, March 9 (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell said

on Thursday its chief executive Ben Van Beurden saw his total

pay jump 60 percent in 2016 to 8.263 million euros from 5.135

million a year earlier mainly due to deferred bonuses and share

plans.

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German restaurant chain Vapiano picks banks for stock market listing -sources

FRANKFURT, March 8 (Reuters) - German restaurant chain

Vapiano has picked banks to arrange its stock market listing,

which may take place as early as after the European summer

break, people close to the matter said.

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Italy's Unieuro files request to list on Milan bourse

MILAN, March 8 (Reuters) - Italian consumer electronics

retailer Unieuro has filed a request to list on the Milan bourse

and aims to complete its initial public offering (IPO) by the

end of June.

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Credit Suisse CFO says considering options over Swiss unit IPO

ZURICH, March 8 (Reuters) - Credit Suisse is

looking at the merits of going ahead as planned with an initial

public offering (IPO) of its domestic business after ending 2016

within its CET1 ratio target range, Chief Financial Officer

David Mathers said on Wednesday.

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BRIEF-Leifheit intends capital increase by issuing bonus shares

* Management board of Leifheit AG intends capital increase from the company's funds at a

ratio of 1:1 by issuing bonus shares

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UPDATE 1-Credit Agricole picks JPMorgan for Banque Saudi Fransi sale -sources

DUBAI, March 8 (Reuters) - French bank Credit Agricole

has picked JPMorgan to advise it on a

potential sale of its 31 percent stake in Banque Saudi Fransi

, valued at nearly $2.4 billion, sources familiar with

the deal said.

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Ireland examines potential retail offer in AIB IPO plans

DUBLIN, March 7 (Reuters) - Ireland's finance ministry is

looking at potentially including a retail offer in a planned

initial public offering of state-owned Allied Irish Banks

(AIB) that could be launched by May, it said on

Tuesday.

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UPDATE 1-Santander, Intesa Sanpaolo to sell Allfunds Bank in 1.8 bln euro deal

* Santander to sell 25 pct of Allfunds Bank for 470 mln

euros

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Packaging conglomerate Ardagh launches long-awaited IPO in New York

DUBLIN, March 6 (Reuters) - Packaging conglomerate Ardagh

Group launched a long-awaited initial public offering

(IPO) late on Monday, as it sought to raise as much as $370

million by floating around 7 percent of the company on the New

York Stock Exchange.

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Banks could earn $332 million from wave of financial services deals

LONDON, March 6 (Reuters) - A spate of big deals by

financial services companies in Europe could earn investment

banks an estimated $332 million in advisory fees, with Goldman

Sachs set to take the lion's share of the pot.

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UPDATE 3-Scottish investors Standard Life, Aberdeen mull $13.5 bln tie-up

* Combined firm would have assets of 660 bln pounds

(Adds detail, background)

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Deutsche Bank says prepares 8 billion euro capital increase

FRANKFURT, March 3 (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank is

preparing for a potential capital increase of about 8 billion

euros ($8.5 billion), it said in a statement on Friday.

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UPDATE 1-Private equity firms offer to buy Shawbrook bank in $1 billion deal

LONDON, March 3 (Reuters) - British bank Shawbrook Group Plc

said on Friday it has received a joint offer from two

private equity firms to buy the lender less than two years since

it went public, in a deal worth 825 million pounds ($1 billion).

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Private equity firms offer to buy Shawbrook bank in $1 billion deal

LONDON, March 3 (Reuters) - British bank Shawbrook Group Plc

said on Friday it has received an offer from private

equity firms Pollen Street Capital and BC Partners to buy the

lender in a deal worth 825 million pounds ($1.01 billion).

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Ireland to select bookrunners, managers as AIB IPO inches closer

DUBLIN, March 3 (Reuters) - Ireland's government will select

bookrunners and co-lead managers to assist a potential share

sale of state-owned Allied Irish Banks (AIB), it said

on Friday, in a further signal that it could launch an IPO by

May.

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UPDATE 1-Music service Spotify tweets it now has 50 mln paid subscribers

March 3 (Reuters) - Spotify has reported via Twitter that it

now has 50 million paid subscribers, a rise of 25 percent in

less than six months, and extending the music streaming

service's lead over its closest rival, Apple Music.

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UPDATE 1-Allied Irish ready to IPO as resumes dividend payments

* FY profit 1.7 bln eur, fully loaded CET1 ratio 15.3 pct

(Adds CFO interview, quotes from chairman)

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UPDATE 1-Cobham to raise 500 mln stg from investors to shore up balance sheet

* Says rights issue will reduce debt ratio, reassure

customers

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Spanish stocks - Factors to watch on Thursday

The following Spanish stocks may be affected by newspaper

reports and other factors on Thursday. Reuters has not verified

the newspaper reports, and cannot vouch for their accuracy:

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Allied Irish resumes dividend payments, ready for IPO

DUBLIN, March 2 (Reuters) - Allied Irish Banks

(AIB) became the first of Ireland's lenders to restart dividends

since the financial crash almost a decade ago, proposing a 250

million euro ($263 million) payment and saying it was ready to

IPO this year.

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Irish fin min says AIB results support 2017 IPO plans

DUBLIN, March 2 (Reuters) - Allied Irish Banks

(AIB) results and first proposed dividend since 2008 support the

view that 2017 is an appropriate time to consider an IPO of the

state-owned bank, finance minister Michael Noonan said on

Thursday.

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