NYSE Euronext probes ABN Amro sharetrading: ABN

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2007

THE HAGUE (AFP) — Transatlantic stock market operator NYSE Euronext has begun an investigation into the trading in shares in Dutch bank ABN Amro that surrounded an announcement that ABN was a takeover target of British bank Barclays, ABN said Tuesday.

"NYSE Euronext has opened an investigation into ABN Amro sharetrading in which we are fully cooperating," ABN spokeswman Christine van Waveren told AFP.

ABN and Barclays announced on March 19 that they were in talks that could lead to the acquisition of ABN by Barclays. In the days just ahead of the announcement a sharp surge in the number of ABN shares traded was detected.

The Barclays bid, backed by ABN management, values ABN at nearly 67 billion euros (91 billion dollars).

But that offer was topped...