Glance-UPDATE 1-Transics says talked with Telematix but no deal

BRUSSELS, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Belgium's Transics, which makes computers for trucks, said on Thursday it had held talks about a tie-up with rival Punch Telematix, but these had not led to any agreement so far.

Belgian media speculated this week that Transics was in merger talks with Telematix, an affiliate of industrial holding group Punch International.

Shares in all three companies were suspended from trading on Thursday afternoon.

Transics, responding to a request from the Belgian financial markets regulator CBFA to issue a statement, said it regularly investigated external growth opportunities and contacted third parties about these.

It said it had in the past held preliminary and exploratory discussions about a transaction with Punch Telematix.

'These discussions have thus far not led to any agreement or formal engagements, except for customary confidentiality undertakings,' Transics said in its statement.

Punch Telematix shares were up 7.1 percent before their suspension and the Transics stock was 1.9 percent higher. They shot up 19.8 percent and 8.2 percent respectively on Tuesday.

Transics chief executive Walter Mastelinck was quoted in De Tijd on Wednesday as saying that Transics was not in takeover talks with Telematix. Punch International boss Wim Deblauwe said Telematix was not for sale.
(Writing by Philip Blenkinsop) Keywords: TRANSICS/PUNCH ([e-mail]; [phone]; Reuters messaging: [e-mail]) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.