BUZZ — Signet in talks to join consortium for De Beers, source says; shares rise

* Signet Jewelers shares gain as much as 4.1% to $112.36, their highest since 2016 * The US retailer in talks to join consortium bidding for De Beers - source * Cartier-owner Richemont also in talks to join bid; diamond miner, being sold by Anglo American, valued at ~$1 billion — person familiar with the matter * Negotiations advanced but no guarantee Richemont will join consortium - Bloomberg News, which reported the news first * Signet, Richemont did not immediately reply to request for comment * As of last close, SIG up ~30% YTD (Reporting by Sanskriti Shekhar in Bengaluru) ((Sanskriti.Shekhar@thomsonreuters.com)