** Novartis (NOVN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) plans to fully acquire its research partner, Swiss biotech company Speedel (SPPN.S: Quote, Profile, Research), for about $880 million to speed up development of blood pressure drug Rasilez, it said. [ID:nL10712972]

** Residential Capital LLC, the mortgage lending arm of GMAC LLC, said a GMAC affiliate agreed to acquire its resort finance business. [ID:nN09320600]

** Porsche SE (PSHG_p.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) will be one step closer to acquiring majority control of Volkswagen AG (VOWG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) on Sept. 2, when its deal to buy 4.9 pct of that company's ordinary shares takes effect. [ID:nL09631724]

** Keeley Asset Management, which made its name by selecting small and forgotten companies, said it took an 18 percent stake in beleaguered money manager Pzena Investment Management (PZN.N: Quote, Profile, Research). [ID:nN09431048]

** Index Ventures, Europe's best-known high-tech venture capital firm, has bought a small stake in technology online publisher Bestofmedia for 22.5 million euros ($35.4 million) to help it fund acquisitions. [ID:nL09515436]

** China's Hangzhou Trust has agreed to sell a 19.9 pct stake to Morgan Stanley (MS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) for about 200 million yuan ($29.2 million), the Chinese company's chairman said. [ID:nSHA2274] (Compiled by Tina Kwan in Singapore and Adveith Nair and Kuganandhan Paramanandan in Bangalore)