Applied Materials Inc. (Nasdaq: AMAT) has agreed to acquire rival chip-making equipment companyTokyo Electron Inc. (Tokyo: 8035) in an all-stock deal that would value the combined company at $29 billion. www.appliedmaterials.com
China Investment Corp. has acquired a 12.5% stake in listed Russian potash producer Uralkali, via the conversion of bonds into equity. www.uralkali.com
Morrison & Foerster, a New York-based corporate law firm, has acquired a 30-lawyer group in Berlin that previously constituted the German office of Hogan Lovells. www.mofo.com
Morgan’s Foods Inc. (OTC: MRFD), a Cleveland-based fast food restaurant franchisee, said that it has retained Brookwood Associates to explore strategic alternatives, including a possible sale of the company. Morgan’s Foods has a current market cap of around $12.5 million. www.morgansfoods.com
AXA Private Equity is prepping to sell French natural ingredients maker Diana in a deal that could be valued at more than €1 billion, according to the FT. J.P. Morgan is in talks to manage the process, which would launch at the beginning of 2014. www.diana-group.com
TA Associates is considering a sale of its 25% stake in mutual fund manager First Eagle Investment Management, according to Reuters. The deal reportedly could be worth between $800 million and $1 billion. www.ta.com
Veeco Instruments Inc. (Nasdaq: VECO) has agreed to acquire Synos Technology Inc., a Fremont, Calif.-based maker of systems that enable the production of based maker of OLED displays for mobile devices. The deal is valued at up to $185 million, including a $70 million up-front payment. Synos had raised private funding from Samsung Venture Investment. www.synos.com
Biocept Inc., a San Diego-based cancer diagnostics company, has filed for a $23 million IPO. It plans to trade on the Nasdaq under ticker symbol BIOC, with Aegis Capital Corp. serving as lead underwriter. The company has raised VC funding from such firms as Goodman Medical Ireland, SMC Corp. and Needham Capital Partners. www.biocept.com
Evogene Ltd., an Israeli plant genomics company, has filed for a $60 million IPO. It plans to trade on the NYSE under ticker symbol EVGN, with Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank Securities serving as lead underwriters. The company already is listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Shareholders include Monsanto Corp. (8.7% stake). www.evogene.com
Marcus & Millichap Inc., a Calabasas, Calif.-based commercial real estate brokerage, has filed for a $103.5 million IPO. The company plans to trade on the NYSE under ticker symbol MMI, with Citigroup and Goldman Sachs serving as lead underwriters. www.marcusmillichap.com
Twitter plans to list its shares on the NYSE, according to TheStreet.com. www.twitter.com
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