Advertisement
UK markets close in 2 hours 15 minutes
  • FTSE 100

    8,332.10
    +18.43 (+0.22%)
     
  • FTSE 250

    20,379.32
    -33.76 (-0.17%)
     
  • AIM

    777.35
    +0.93 (+0.12%)
     
  • GBP/EUR

    1.1608
    -0.0016 (-0.14%)
     
  • GBP/USD

    1.2480
    -0.0030 (-0.24%)
     
  • Bitcoin GBP

    49,609.12
    -1,338.96 (-2.63%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    1,320.35
    +25.68 (+1.98%)
     
  • S&P 500

    5,187.70
    +6.96 (+0.13%)
     
  • DOW

    38,884.26
    +31.99 (+0.08%)
     
  • CRUDE OIL

    77.71
    -0.67 (-0.85%)
     
  • GOLD FUTURES

    2,323.50
    -0.70 (-0.03%)
     
  • NIKKEI 225

    38,202.37
    -632.73 (-1.63%)
     
  • HANG SENG

    18,313.86
    -165.51 (-0.90%)
     
  • DAX

    18,438.02
    +7.97 (+0.04%)
     
  • CAC 40

    8,122.56
    +46.88 (+0.58%)
     

CRH shareholders approve asset purchases from Lafarge, Holcim

DUBLIN, March 19 (Reuters) - Shareholders at Ireland (Other OTC: IRLD - news) 's CRH approved a 6.5 billion euro ($6.93 billion) deal to buy assets from Lafarge (Paris: FR0000120537 - news) and Holcim (Other OTC: HCMLF - news) as their rivals scrambled to save a merger that the asset sales hinge on.

The Swiss and French cement makers agreed to sell the assets last month in order to win regulatory approval for a planned merger which Zurich-based Holcim halted on Monday over prices and management structure.

The Irish building supplies company has already raised 1.6 billion euros through an equity placing and held off on other acquisition opportunities to build up 2 billion euros of cash to help fund the deal. It plans to issue new debt to fund the rest. ($1 = 0.9378 euros) (Reporting by Padraic Halpin; editing by Jason Neely)