Exor ups stake in The Economist to 43.4 pct for 287 mln pounds

MILAN, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Exor, the holding company of Italy's Agnelli family, has increased its stake in The Economist Group to 43.4 percent from 4.7 percent by buying shares from Britain's Pearson (Amsterdam: PR8.AS - news) for 287 million pounds ($447 million).

In a statement on Wednesday, Exor said the acquisition would be funded through cash available on hand, making Exor the group's single largest shareholder.

The company added that, subject to a shareholder vote, the governance rules of The Economist would be amended to limit the voting powers of any single shareholder to 20 percent, and to ensure that no one individual or company can own more than 50 percent of the group's shares. ($1 = 0.6420 pounds) (Reporting by Agnieszka Flak)