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Sunday Round-Up: The main stories from yesterday's City pages

Monday 10 January 1994 00:02 GMT
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The Mail on Sunday

ROGER Levitt, the former bankrupt who was convicted of fraud last year, has assets of more than pounds 1.3m in his personal pension plans.

Some institutional investors in British Aerospace are opposing the possible promotion of chief executive Dick Evans to the chairmanship, claiming he lacks experience.

Share tip: Leigh Interests.

The Sunday Telegraph

GEC and Thomson-CSF of France are thought to be discussing a three- way link-up with the receivers of the crashed Ferranti electronics group to create a world-wide sonar business with sales approaching pounds 400m.

LWT, which is fighting off a pounds 660m bid from Granada, is expected to announce 1993 profits of pounds 40m this week, a third higher than in 1992 and better than market forecasts.

Ladbroke, the hotel, betting and do-it-yourself retail group, is planning a name change as part of wide- ranging measures following the departure this week of Cyril Stein, who headed the company for 37 years until September.

Noble Raredon, the textile and holiday group run by Asil Nadir's sister Bilge Nevzat, is set for a stock market comeback next month as a sausage and ham processor. A consortium plans to buy Ms Nevzat's 40 per cent stake and inject Kays Food, a cooked meat producer.

Share tips: Cussins, Wilshaw, J Savile Gordon.

Sunday Express

DIXONS was forced to slash the prices of computer games in the run-up to Christmas following cuts by rival Woolworths. Sega Megadrive and Super Nintendo packs were cut from pounds 129 to as low as pounds 89. Despite matching last year's record sales, margins were squeezed and profits dived.

The Observer

LONDON Weekend Television will strengthen its defences against Granada's pounds 700m takeover bid this week by unveiling a 1993 profit forecast up 30 per cent to pounds 40m. But analysts say this will not be enough to stop Granada winning in its bid for LWT.

The departure of Cyril Stein from Ladbroke was forced on the company by disgruntled institutional shareholders. Key investors told Peter George, the new chief executive, that they would back his recovery proposals for the company only if Mr Stein went.

Royal Insurance expects to raise up to pounds 130m through the sale of properties mainly held by its Sterling Estates subsidiary. Land Securities is seen as the front runner to buy the properties, two-thirds of which are high street shops.

Share tips: Buy Reuters, BTR. Sell Vodafone.

The Sunday Times

QVC is expected to launch a court action this week to block last Friday's 11th-hour bid from Viacom and Blockbuster for Paramount, the film studio at the centre of an epic takeover battle.

Ladbroke has recruited Mike Smith, a main board director at printing group Bowater, to take charge of its racing division.

Barclays Bank is preparing to announce thousands of new job cuts by raising its staff reduction target from 18,000 to 21,000 in a five-year plan to slash costs.

Share tips: Dixons Motors.

Independent on Sunday

DIETER BOCK, Lonrho's joint chief executive, has mortgaged his entire 18.8 per cent stake in the company as security against a pounds 100m loan. Roland 'Tiny' Rowland invoked the disclosure provisions of the Companies Act to force the information out of Mr Bock's private business interests. The moves will further heighten tension between the two men.

The Getty family, whose fortune is estimated at pounds 2.7bn, has joined forces with Lord Rothschild and Hambros Bank to buy controlling stakes in selected British companies. Getty Investment Holdings has earmarked up to pounds 60m for its first acquisition. GIH is 75 per cent owned by Getty family trusts, with the rest owned by Hambros and RIT, the investment trust run by Lord Rothschild.

A leading French businessman has been lined up to replace Sir Alastair Morton when he stands down as chief executive of Eurotunnel. The appointment would tilt the balance of Eurotunnel's board in France's favour. An announcement on the replacement could be made as early as this week.

Share tips: Wellcome, Matthew Clark.

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