Umicore has reached an agreement to acquire Anandeya Zinc Oxides Private Limited, located in Goa, India. The company will be fully integrated into Umicore's Zinc Chemicals business and will support the business unit's strategy of growing its position as one of the worldwide leaders in the manufacturing of high-purity, specialty zinc compounds. The acquisition and the intended additional investment amount to some USD 10 million. The intended investment involves expanding Anandeya's current zinc oxides product range to different zinc chemicals in order to provide broader support for the growth of Umicore's global customers in the expanding markets of India and the Middle East. The acquired site has spare land for the expansion of zinc chemicals production or for the incorporation of other industrial activities. The experience gained in the transaction will also benefit Umicore in its pursuit of future growth possibilities in India. The transaction is subject to certain standard closing conditions and is expected to be completed by early August.   more »

NYSE Euronext (NYX) has announced that it has completed through its affiliate Euronext NV, the acquisition of 5 percent equity in the multi commodity exchange (MCX), India's largest commodity exchange group. The 5 percent equity investment is the maximum equity interest permitted by a single foreign investor in exchanges under current Indian law. "Asia pacific is a strong, growing region for global capital markets and we formalize our intent to be a part of that growth by investing in and working with MCX" said Lawrence Leibowitz, NYSE Euronext's group executive vice president. Speaking on the occasion MD and CEO, MCX, Joseph Massey said, "The strategic investment by NYSE in MCX takes our relationship to the next level and we see it as strategically important in the global context."   more »