Deals of the day-Mergers and acquisitions
July 26 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 1945 GMT on Friday:
** WesBanco has agreed to buy smaller rival Premier Financial in an all-stock deal valued at $959 million, the lenders said, offering another sign of growing consolidation in the U.S. regional banking industry.
** European food company Fortenova sold its agricultural business to Croatia's leading food company Podravka under a 333 million euros deal signed, the company said in a statement.
** Eni could pocket more than 8 billion euros ($8.7 billion) in net proceeds from disposals by 2027, CEO Claudio Descalzi said after the Italian energy group reported second-quarter results ahead of consensus.
** Billionaire Barry Diller signaled his digital-media conglomerate IAC was no longer in the race to buy Paramount Global, CNBC reported.
** Casey's General Stores said it would acquire Fikes Wholesale, owner of CEFCO convenience stores, in an all-cash transaction for $1.15 billion in a bid to strengthen its presence in Texas.
** Private equity firm Apollo Funds will take International Game Technology's gaming and digital business and Everi Holdings private in an all-cash deal that values the combined business at $6.3 billion, the companies said.
** Macquarie Asset Management will buy out the 20% of Britain's National Gas that it does already own, the investment company said without disclosing financial details.
** India will press ahead with the delayed sale of a majority stake in IDBI Bank after central bank clearance, opening bids for the lender before the end of the financial year, a top finance ministry official said.
** Czech train maker Skoda said it does not intend to file a counter bid to take over Spanish rival Talgo though it seeks to combine the two companies' industrial activities, according to a letter disclosed by Talgo.
** Banco Sabadell is unlikely to get a competing takeover offer to scupper a hostile bid from rival BBVA because other banks would also face competition concerns, Sabadell's CEO Cesar Gonzalez-Bueno said. (Compiled by Rajarshi Roy, Priyanka.G and Arasu Kannagi Basil in Bengaluru)
