Sunday Papers: Cooper threatens to ditch £532m Laird offer - tips, comment and bids

The Sunday Times

* Cooper Industries, the American suitor, yesterday rejected an invitation to increase its offer price for Laird, the electronics firm.

* Top shareholders in Charter International have told directors to open up to a £1.4 billion takeover bid from Melrose, the aggressive conglomerate.

* The sale of Northern Rock will crystalise a loss of at least £400 million for British taxpayers.

* Satellite Information Services is considering a £200 million takeover of Arena Leisure, one of Britain’s largest racecourse owners.

* Acromas, the owner of Saga, is buying Allied Healthcare, fuelling speculation that the group is preparing for a flotation.

* Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned gas giant, is in talks to take a big stake in British power plants owned by RWE, German parent of the utility Npower.

* GMT Communications Partners, a private equity firm, has acquired the video-conferencing company, Meeting Zone, for about £38.5 million from Nova Capital Management and the founders, Tim Duffy and Steve Gandy.

* Dublin-based Escher Group is preparing for a £30 million AIM float.

* Sirius Petroleum, the AIM-listed oil group, is gearing up for a Nigerian acquisition spree.

* Lansdowne Partners, Europe’s largest hedge fund, has sold its entire $850 million stake in Goldman Sachs.

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