 The LSE has called on shareholders to reject Macquarie's offer |
Australia's Macquarie Bank has extended the deadline for shareholders of the London Stock Exchange to back its �1.5bn ($2.65bn) takeover bid. Macquarie said LSE shareholders now had until 14 February to accept its 580 pence-per-share offer.
The news came as Macquarie revealed that so far it had won the backing of just 0.4% of LSE investors.
The London exchange's board said it continued to "recommend strongly" that shareholders reject the offer.
'Quality and strength'
Earlier this month the LSE, which is Europe's biggest equity market, accused Macquarie of trying to buy it "on the cheap".
The Australian bank, which already has UK investments ranging from BBC Broadcast to the M6 Toll Road, launched its takeover bid in December.
Macquarie hoped the move would outflank rival suitors for the LSE, including the pan-European Euronext exchange and Germany's Deutsche Boerse.
It described the bid as "attractive, certain and deliverable in cash".
However, the LSE's board responded by saying it "ignored the quality and strength of the business".
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