LONDON (Reuters) – Charter International has cancelled some meetings with New York hedge funds, people familiar with the matter said, focusing on long-term shareholders as it takes its case for independence to the United States this week.

The engineering company is under mounting pressure from large European shareholders to open its books to Melrose MYN.L, after it rejected an indicative offer of 840 pence a share, or 1.4 billion pounds.

LONDON, Aug 1 (Reuters) – Britain’s Charter International
has cancelled some meetings with New York hedge funds,
people familiar with the matter said, focusing on long-term
shareholders as it takes its case for independence to the United
States this week.

The engineering company is under mounting pressure from
large European shareholders to open its books to Melrose
, after it rejected an indicative offer of 840 pence a
share, or 1.4 billion pounds.

LONDON (Reuters) – Long-term investors are losing patience with companies that fail to maximize value as the slowing recovery whittles away returns, with some calling for greater financial rewards for loyalty or takeovers that put growth targets back on course.

The current earnings season — expected to reveal a number of companies missing forecasts because of the still stuttering economy — could be the catalyst for more investors to demand changes that will push up the share prices in the groups they own.

LONDON (Reuters) – Virgin Money has submitted its expression of interest in nationalized British bank Northern Rock, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, as bidders circle billions of pounds worth of UK bank assets up for sale.

“We have put a letter in and we think it will be competitive,” said one source, on condition of anonymity.

LONDON, July 28 (Reuters) – Businessmen Richard Branson and
Clive Cowdery, founder of insurance takeover specialist
Resolution, are expected to be among the bidders for
nationalised British bank Northern Rock, people familiar with
the matter said.

Branson’s Virgin Money and Cowdery’s Resolution were likely
to make first-round expressions of interest in Northern Rock
this week to UK Financial Investments, the organisation set up
to manage the British state’s bank holdings, the people said.

LONDON (Reuters) – Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) has excluded the former boss of its aircraft leasing business from the $8 billion auction of the unit, raising concerns the part-nationalized bank is barring a credible bidder and could short-change the UK taxpayer.

Four sources familiar with the matter said Dublin-based aircraft leasing firm Avolon, which is run by Domhnal Slattery, the founder and former CEO of RBS Aviation, has been barred from the process.

LONDON, July 25 (Reuters) – Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L: Quote, Profile, Research)
has excluded the former boss of its aircraft leasing business
from the $8 billion auction of the unit, raising concerns the
part-nationalised bank is barring a credible bidder and could
short-change the UK taxpayer.

Three sources familiar with the matter said Dublin-based
aircraft leasing firm Avolon, which is run by Domhnal Slattery,
the founder and former CEO of RBS Aviation, has been barred from
the process.

LONDON, July 25 (Reuters) – Lloyds is talking to
six firms over the sale of 632 bank branches, although only two
– NBNK and Co-Op Bank — have bid, people with
knowledge of the matter said on Monday.

“There are six parties to whom we’re talking,” said one
source with knowledge of the Lloyds’ branch sale process.

LONDON (Reuters) – The Takeover Panel has adopted tougher merger rules, tipping the balance of power back towards acquisition targets.

The Panel published its final rules on Thursday after a year-long consultation prompted by the outcry over Kraft’s (KFT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) purchase of Cadbury.

LONDON, July 21 (Reuters) – Britain’s Takeover Panel has
adopted tougher merger rules, tipping the balance of power back
towards acquisition targets.

The Panel published its final rules on Thursday after a
year-long consultation prompted by the outcry over Kraft’s
purchase of Cadbury.