Update filed at 0920hrs

Directors of British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) have rejected an offer News Corporation to take full control of the satellite broadcaster in which it has a 39 per cent stake.

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation today confirmed that it has now had two offers rebuffed to buy-out BSkyB in its entirety, with the latest offer at 700 pence per share.

News of the takeover move sent BSkyB’s share price rocketing this morning, up a dazzling 19.3 per cent at 716.5 pence with BSkyB’s directors saying that a proposal of 800 pence per share being more agreeable.

Despite today’s rejection of the latest bid, BSkyB did release a positive statement to market, stating that there is shareholder value in the deal.

It said, ‘Recognising that an offer from News Corporation could be in the interests of BSkyB shareholders in the future, and that obtaining any necessary merger clearances would facilitate such an offer, BSkyB has agreed to co-operate with News Corporation in seeking those clearances from the relevant authorities.’

Interdealer broker ICAP was the second highest climber, up 1.3 per cent at 422.9 pence despite news last week that the Financial Services Authority had issued a mandatory notice for it to pay for an outside audit firm to examine its systems and controls.

Intercontinental Hotel Group also made gains once more, up 1 per cent at 1,209 pence.

Mobile satellite operations group Inmarsat fell 5 per cent this morning after Bank of America/Merrill Lynch downgraded the company to an underperform rating amid concerns about expansion plans which could affect shareholder returns.

The stock was hovering around 779 pence by 0920 hrs. Aviva made a return to the losers’ list, down 2.1 per cent at 337.2 pence, while Lloyds Banking Group was down 1.6 per cent at 54 pence.

Top ten trades 
Monday 14 June 2010 
Source: TD Waterhouse

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Buy 
1. BP, 48.8 per cent
2. Royal Dutch Shell, 8.9 per cent 
3. Morrison Supermarkets, 8.9 per cent 
4. Lloyds Banking Group, 7 per cent 
5. Nautical Petroleum, 3.5 per cent 
6. Yell Group, 3.2 per cent
7. Royal Bank of Scotland, 3.1 per cent 
8. Gulf Keystone, 2.4 per cent 
9. Encore Oil, 2.4 per cent 
10. Tesco, 2.4 per cent

Sell 
1. Barclays, 24.5 per cent 
2. BP, 21.1 per cent 
3. Royal Bank of Scotland, 11.2 per cent
4. Xstrata, 9.4 per cent 
5. Lloyds Banking Group, 7.6 per cent 
6. Rio Tinto, 6.2 per cent 
7. Gulf Keystone, 5.7 per cent 
8. Vodafone Group, 5.3 per cent 
9. Nautical Petroleum, 4.6 per cent 
10. Kazakhmys, 4.3 per cent