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Anglo under pressure to reveal strategies to fend off BHP as Elliott walkings stake

Anglo American faced calls from shareholders on Monday to information plans for improving its worth in order to fend off bidder BHP , as activist investor Elliott even more raised the stakes by increasing its holding in the takeover target.

BHP, the world's greatest noted mining group, is privately speaking to financiers about a possible revised takeover bid as it weighs up next moves after a preliminary $39 billion gambit for its smaller rival was rejected by Anglo last week.

Elliott Investment Management on the other hand said in a stock exchange filing on Monday it had raised its position in London-listed Anglo to 2.6% from about 2.5% it disclosed on Friday.

That added to the market heat, with the target company's. share cost increasing 4.05% to 27.50 pounds - well above BHP's. opening bid of 25.08 per share.

BHP shares had actually closed 0.42% lower at A$ 42.97 ($ 28.17) in. Australia.

Anglo need to come out and explain to us how they're going. to make this organization better, said George Cheveley,. portfolio supervisor at Ninety-One.

You have actually got the largest mining company (making an) approach,. it's a reputable technique. You might argue the structure is. wrong, and they might be able to alter that, he included.

Anglo, which turned down BHP's quote on Friday as opportunistic. and substantially underestimating the miner and its future. prospects, will hold its AGM from 1000 GMT on Tuesday in London.

However while shareholders would be eager to hear information of its. response, constraints in the UK Takeover Code imply executives. are not likely to be able to go over strategies beyond a repeat of the. rejection, a source familiar with the matter said.

In February, Anglo started a tactical review of its possessions in. action to a 94% fall in yearly revenue and a series of. writedowns brought on by lower product demand.

Much of the focus of BHP's quote has actually been on copper and 2 of. its financiers stated they saw value in an offer given Anglo's. quality properties and long-term rate prospects for the metal,. which is central to the world's tidy energy shift.

The investors, who declined to be called as the talks were. private, stated they would be open to BHP raising its offer.

We are responsive to the offer. We potentially would be. supportive if BHP raised their offer, stated the very first investor.

BHP advisor UBS has, in a parallel procedure, started. scheduling conferences with fund supervisors for today, 3. sources with direct knowledge of the matter stated.

These talks highlight the effort that BHP is making to. fine-tune a revised proposition for Anglo.

The meetings being sought by UBS will focus on getting. granular details of how BHP shareholders think a second bid. need to be structured, one of the sources stated. That feedback. would then be transported back to BHP, the source added.

BHP and Anglo declined to comment. UBS did not immediately. respond to a request for comment.

(source: Reuters)