China’s stake in Rio Tinto gets all-clear
Rio Tinto has a dual listing in Sydney and a 14,99% stake in London would equate to around 11% in the entire group.
Rio Tinto has a dual listing in Sydney and a 14,99% stake in London would equate to around 11% in the entire group.
South African stocks remained firm at midday on Wednesday as merger talks surrounding BHP Billiton kept heavyweight miners buoyant, but easing metal prices weighed on other mining counters. At noon, the JSE’s broader all-share index was up 0,88% at 32 280,27.
The world’s third-largest miner, Rio Tinto, said on Wednesday its full-year net profit fell almost 2% in 2007 to $7,312-billion as it again rejected a takeover bid by rival BHP Billiton. But underlying profit rose 1,4% from 2006 to $7,443-billion as the firm said it produced record amounts of iron ore, bauxite, aluminium, gold and copper.
BHP Billiton launched a hostile ,4-billion bid for rival Rio Tinto in a move that could trigger a Chinese-led counterbid in the world’s second biggest corporate takeover. Combined, BHP and Rio would create the world’s third-richest company, with a market capitalisation eclipsed only by Exxon Mobil and General Electric.
China’s state-backed miners have looked at Xstrata but are unlikely to bid for it, leaving Brazil’s Vale or Anglo-American best placed to snap up the Anglo-Swiss miner. Vale, which produces a fifth of the world’s iron ore, said on Monday that it was in talks with Xstrata about a takeover.