Deals of the day-Mergers and acquisitions

June 9 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 20:00 GMT on Monday:

** UnitedHealth Group UNH.N is weighing multiple bids for its Latin American operations, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter, as the insurer buckles down after a series of unprecedented missteps that include the ouster of its CEO and a reported criminal accounting probe. nL1N3SC0MB

** Baker Hughes <BKR.O> said it will sell its precision sensors and instrumentation (PSI) product line to aerospace and defense parts manufacturer Crane <CR.N> for $1.15 billion, as the oilfield services provider looks to optimize its portfolio.nL4N3SC0VZ

** Spectris <SXS.L> would accept a 3.73 billion pound ($5.06 billion) bid from Advent if the U.S. private equity firm tables a formal offer, it said, sending shares in the British scientific instruments maker soaring by 70%. nL4N3SC0SH

** Argentex <AGFX.L> said it had rejected an equity investment proposal from the Netherlands-based Lavide Holding NV <LVIDE.AS> to obtain a 50% stake in the British currency risk manager for 2.5 million pounds ($3.39 million) and a potential provision of a 15 million pound credit line. nL4N3SC0SM

** Howden has strengthened its position in the Peruvian market through the acquisition of reinsurance broker Innova Re, the company announced. nL6N3SC0D6

** IonQ <IONQ.N> will acquire its British peer Oxford Ionics for $1.08 billion, the companies said, helping the U.S.-based quantum computing firm deepen its research expertise in the complex technology that is seeing booming investor interest.nL4N3SC0IX

** U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm <QCOM.O> agreed to acquire Alphawave <AWE.L> for about $2.4 billion, as it expands into the booming AI data center market, sending shares of the British semiconductor company up by almost a quarter. nL4N3SC0CD

** L'Oreal has agreed to acquire a majority stake in British skincare brand Medik8, boosting the French cosmetics giant's position in the fast-growing dermatological skincare market. nL8N3SC06R

** Brown & Brown BRO.N is closing in on a deal to buy Risk Strategies parent Accession Risk Management, in what would be the biggest acquisition in the U.S. intermediary’s history, a source familiar with the matter told The Insurer. nL6N3SC09O

** Global investment firm KKR said that British Columbia Investment Management Corp (BCI) will acquire a minority stake in Pinnacle Towers, an Asia-based digital infrastructure platform with a focus on the Philippines, from KKR. nL1N3SC013