Deals of the day -- mergers and acquisitions

Published: 15 Jul 2009 22:29:51 PST

July 16 - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals involving European, U.S. and Asian companies were reported by 0600 GMT on Thursday.

** The Travel Channel is up for sale in an auction expected to draw interest from media companies such as Scripps Networks Interactive Inc and Time Warner Inc and fetch $600 million to $1 billion, two sources familiar with the matter said.

** Taking advantage of investor appetite for renewable energy projects, four geothermal firms said they plan to combine forces to form a single, larger company that will be able to raise funds more easily to develop "green" power projects.

** American International Group is in talks with a Prudential Financial Inc unit to sell two Japanese life insurers, a person familiar with the matter said.