France's LVMH nears deal to buy hotel operator Belmond - WSJ

(Reuters) - French luxury group LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE is near a deal to buy UK-based high-end hotels operator Belmond Ltd for about $25 per share in cash, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.The potential deal, which could be announced as early as Friday, would value Belmond's equity at about $2.6 billion, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.The reported price would represent a premium of more-than 40 percent to the close of Belmond's shares on..