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BUZZ-Healthcare M&A: what the doctor ordered

Reuters - UK Focus

A spate of deal headlines in the European pharma sector is putting a floor under regional stock indices.

** Busy Easter for dealmakers with Novartis (Xetra: NOT.DE - news) and GlaxoSmithKline (Other OTC: GLAXF - news) leading the charge.

** Pfizer (NYSE: PFE - news) could get back into mega-deal mode after a 4-year hiatus. A reported 60 billion pound offer for AstraZeneca (EUREX: AZNF.EX - news) was rejected.

** Citi expects renewed interest in the use of offshore cash held by US companies to fund ex-US M&A.

** Among potential candidates for takeovers Citi points to previously cited targets including Shire (LSE: SHP.L - news) , Actelion & UCB.

** A pick-up in corporate activity especially in the form of deals at hefty premiums to current prices could tempt investors to chase stocks. (RM (LSE: RM.L - news) : vikram.subhedar.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)