(Adds Apple, Comcast, Fiat Chrysler, Bidcorp, Ramsay Health Care, Blackstone (NYSE:BX), Cesp; updates Daimler )
Aug 22 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 2000 GMT on Wednesday:
** Apple AAPL.O is set to win unconditional EU antitrust approval for its planned acquisition of British music discovery app Shazam, two people familiar with the matter said. Germany's Daimler DAIGn.DE is in advanced talks to buy a stake in Heycar, a used-car portal set up last year by its bigger German rival Volkswagen VOWG_p.DE , a spokesman for Volkswagen Financial Services said. Comcast Corp CMCSA.O said it had received valid acceptances for shares representing just 0.21 percent of Sky Plc SKYB.L after its 14.75 pound per share offer to buy 61 percent of the European broadcaster. Fiat Chrysler (FCA) FCHA.MI is pressing ahead with the spin- off of its parts maker Magneti Marelli, a spokesman confirmed after reports investment firm KKR was in talks to acquire the unit. International food distributor Bid Corporation Ltd (Bidcorp) BIDJ.J is finalising an agreement to sell its UK logistics business, moving a step closer to removing a loss-making, non-core asset. The French unit of Australian hospital group Ramsay Health Care RHC.AX has approached investors of Sweden's Capio CAPIO.ST as it considers bumping up its 661 million Swedish crown ($756 million) bid for the hospital chain, a source close to Ramsay told Reuters. Private equity firm Blackstone Group BX.N has hired investment banks to study a possible sale or an initial public offering (IPO) of sub-prime auto lender Exeter Finance, sources familiar with the matter said. Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC Pte Ltd GIC.UL and Brazilian investment firm Squadra Investimentos are among groups interested in acquiring Companhia Energética de São Paulo CESP6.SA , known as Cesp, a person with knowledge of the matter said. Insurer Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) Inc HIG.N said it will buy Navigators Group Inc NAVG.O in a $2.1 billion cash deal to expand its product offerings and geographic reach. Australia's TPG Telecom Ltd TPM.AX is in merger talks with Vodafone's local business, a tie-up that could reduce competition by combining TPG's soon-to-be-launched mobile network with the smallest of the three existing players. Industrial gases giants Linde LIN1.DE and Praxair (NYSE:PX) PX.N are in talks to try to salvage their $83 billion merger after U.S. competition regulators demanded they sell assets that generate more than $4.3 billion in sales. Australian oil and gas firm Santos Ltd STO.AX agreed to buy privately held Quadrant Energy for at least $2.15 billion, grabbing what may be the biggest oil find off Western Australia in over two decades. Motorbike brand Ducati could be merged with a rival or enter an alliance given a lack of synergy potential with the passenger car businesses at VW, Volkswagen VOWG_p.DE Chief Executive Herbert Diess told German daily Handelsblatt. Italy's state lawyers have found no grounds to void a tender to sell the Ilva steel plant to industry giant ArcelorMittal, two sources familiar with the matter said.