Boosey & Hawkes faces break-up bid

Boosey & Hawkes faces break-up bid

Boosey & Hawkes, the music publisher, faces being broken up following a bid for its biggest shareholder, Carl Fischer, the private US music group. B&H, 45.3 per cent owned by Fischer, confirmed yesterday Fischer was still in talks to sell itself, a move which would trigger a full bid for B&H under UK takeover rules. Observers said a number of major entertainment companies were eager to buy B&H, which owns the copyright to music from composers such as Rachmaninov and Elgar. Potentially interested bidders include Bertelsmann, Steinway and Yamaha. B&H is thought to be interested in buying Carl Fischer should no other bidders come forward, which could involve setting up a separate company and issuing equity.