News: ABC Three Australian buyouts worth $2.35 billion emerge in end-of-year deal rush

Australian building products group Adbri Ltd (ABC) and pension firm Link Group (LNK) were among three takeover targets facing bids worth A$3.5 billion ($2.34 billion) made on Monday in a year-end rush of deals involving listed companies.

Adbri shares jumped 31% after it said it was in exclusive talks with international building materials group CRH CRH.N and major shareholder Barro Group for a A$2.1 billion takeover offer.

The two firms have offered A$3.20 per share for Adbri which is a 41% premium to the company's closing price on Friday.

Barro, a family-owned private Australian group, owns 43% of Adbri, and CRH, which is London and U.S. listed, has a 4.6% interest in the takeover target through a cash-settled derivative, they said in a statement.

Adbri's independent board committee has recommended the takeover and the two buyers will now undertake exclusive due diligence ahead of lodging a binding bid.

Link shares jumped 27.65% early Monday after it said it had received a A$1.2 billion bid from Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group 8306.T , Japan's largest banking group.

Mitsubishi said it held a 6.4% stake in Link and the takeover target's board recommended the bid in the absence of a superior offer emerging for the company.

Meanwhile, dental group Pacific Smiles (PSQ) said a A$223 million unsolicited bid from private equity firm Genesis Capital was 'opportunistically timed'. It said its board would consider the offer before making a recommendation to shareholders.

Pacific Smiles shares rose nearly 16% on the takeover offer.

($1 = 1.4928 Australian dollars)