News: UWL UPDATE 1-Australia's Uniti gets superior buyout offer valuing it at $2.6 bln

(Adds details of the bid, share performance)

March 24 (Reuters) - Australia's Uniti Group Ltd (UWL) on Thursday said it has received a higher buyout proposal from Macquarie Asset Management and Canada's Public Sector Pension Investment Board that values the telecoms firm at A$3.44 billion ($2.58 billion).

The non-binding, incomplete and indicative offer of A$5 per Uniti share, which Uniti's chairman received by email on Wednesday, was superior to a A$4.50 per share offer last week from Morrison & Co.

Trading of Uniti shares was halted on Wednesday after media reports about the bid. The stock has risen close to 50% since March 14 when it entered exclusive talks with Morrison & Co.

Uniti said its board was considering the terms of the new proposal. ($1 = 1.3339 Australian dollars)