Deals

Cleaning and catering services firm Spotless Group has made a strong return to trading on the Australian Securities Exchange.

The Drumstick and Choc Wedge ice-creams could be about to go the way of iconic Australian brands Victoria Bitter and Victa Lawnmowers and be sold overseas.

Silicon Valley-based online recruitment company 1-Page has outlined plans to launch a backdoor listing on the ASX through mining exploration company Intermet Resources.

The winemaker behind brands including Penfolds has rejected a $3.05 billion takeover proposal from a US investment firm while announcing plans to slash costs and jobs.

Biotech player Orthocell has appointed two financial advisory firms to seek out investors as part of the company’s plans to go public.

Sandalwood producer TFS Corporation has raised $67 million through a share placement, signalling it plans to increase the scale of its plantations.

Shares in Perth-based rubber recycling and manufacturing company Reclaim Industries have soared on the ASX on the back of its $3.8 million all-scrip takeover of cloud-based recruitment business Skills Connect.

IT services provider Empired has signed a deal to purchase Sydney-based customer relationship management firm eSavvy for $2.2 million.

Perth financial planners and former Test cricketers John "Sam" Gannon and Craig Serjeant are set to be two of the big winners from a $670 million takeover deal that will create Australia's third largest wealth manager.

The board of food producer Goodman Fielder has unanimously recommended shareholders accept a sweetened $1.37 billion dollar takeover offer from two Asian firms.

Global oil and gas services company ASCO Group has added another string to its bow with the $28 million purchase of a majority stake in logistics provider Bonnie Rock Transport.

West Perth-based explorer Avanco Resources has raised $23 million through a share placement as it works towards development of its Antas and Pedra Branca copper projects in Brazil.

ASX-listed Euroz has confirmed that it will acquire fellow Perth-based stockbroker Blackswan Equities.

St George Mining has completed an oversubscribed capital raising of $1.2 million.

Metals X has bought the Meekatharra gold operations for $7.7 million less than a year after the holding company – a subsidiary of Reed Resources – was placed into the hands of administrators.

Shares in Perth-based oil and gas explorer Tangiers Petroleum have closed lower after the company announced plans to launch a heavily discounted $5 million share placement.

Shares in US-focused Aurora Oil & Gas have closed higher after Canadian oil company Baytex Energy increased its takeover offer for the company.

Northern Star Resources has continued its aggressive expansion strategy, announcing it will buy the Jundee gold mine in Western Australia from Newmont Mining for $82.5 million.

Shares in Perth-based oil and gas explorer Neon Energy have soared after the company booked $US27 million from the sale of exploration leases in California to an anonymous buyer.

Biotech company Admedus has completed an oversubscribed $8 million share placement as it looks to push marketing for its CardioCel regenerative tissue product in Europe and the US.

Perth-based private company QCG Resources has announced plans to raise up to $60 million in an initial public offering to fund its purchase of the mothballed Avebury nickel mine in Tasmania.

Perth-based oil and gas services company Coretrack has signed a deal to acquire unlisted fraccing technology developer Ecopropp in an all-scrip transaction worth about $17 million.

Mineral sands explorer Sheffield Resources has raised $11.5 million through a share placement as it works towards completion of a pre-feasibility study at its Thunderbird project.

Copper and gold explorer Stavely Minerals debuted on the ASX today in what was the first float by a Western Australia-based minerals play in more than a year.

Private equity fund Denham Capital has launched its first Australian mining investment, committing $200 million to newly-formed coal venture Pembroke Resources in a deal spearheaded by the firm's Perth-based mining team.

Property firm Charter Hall Group has added to its portfolio of Bunnings stores with a $127 million acquisition of stores in Western Australia and Queensland.

Cedar Woods Properties is poised to expand into the Queensland market with the $68 million purchase of a residential development site near Brisbane.

Junior Resources firms Poseidon Nickel and Fox Resources have each outlined capital raisings in a bid to bolster company balance sheets.

Perth-based Liquefied Natural Gas says its Magnolia LNG project is fully funded with the completion of a $49.5 million capital raising.

Andrew Forrest has emerged as a surprise backer of Energy and Minerals Australia, taking a major stake in the Perth-based uranium explorer through a much-needed $12 million investment. EMA has also struck a debt-for-equity swap with its noteholders.

Continued growth of the Pilbara as an export-focused iron ore province received a huge boost today when Chinese steel giant Baosteel and Australian railway operator Aurizon teamed up to bid for the Perth company behind a $6 billion port and rail project.

Andrew Forrest's Minderoo Group has emerged as the surprise buyer of the state's largest beef processor, Harvey Beef, quashing speculation that the company would be sold to Chinese interests.