P525ORACLE 525 Mon10 Feb C4 1711:14
EUROPEANS FAIL IN
WESTLAND SHARE BID
The European consortium has failed in
its bid to win a 20.2% stake in the
Westland helicopter company.
The consortium launched its bid to woo
the company's small shareholders nearly
two weeks ago, offering 130p a share
when the market price was 110p.
That offer now lapses but a spokesman
for the Europeans said they were "by no
means despondent" about the outcome of
Wednesday's meeting of shareholders.
The rival Sikorsky-Fiat rescue needs
the backing of 50.1% to succeed.
City headlines 500 Newsfile 520
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