Subject: Aussie investors oppose deal -Singapore Strait Times
From: "Michael Andrews" <[email-masked]>
To: "Curtis Hastings" <[email-masked]>, "Hunter Biden" <[email-masked]>, "Devon Archer" <[email-masked]>, "Eric Schwerin" <[email-masked]>, "Neil Callahan" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 4 Nov 2010 17:01:50 -0400

I think this becomes more interesting every day.

Nov 4, 2010
SGX-ASX MERGER
Aussie investors oppose deal

Some political opponents argue that a full takeover would inhibit  
Australian ambitions to become a regional financial hub. -- PHOTO:  
REUTERS

SYDNEY - Most Australian retail investors oppose the Singapore  
Exchange's US$7.9 billion (S$10.2 billion) bid for Australian bourse  
operator ASX Ltd and want it recast as an equal marriage, according to  
a survey.

The Australian government is under growing pressure to block the deal  
on national-interest grounds, with some political opponents arguing  
that a full takeover would inhibit Australian ambitions to become a  
regional financial hub.

The latest Investor Pulse survey showed 55 per cent of investors did  
not believe the agreed takeover was in the country's national  
interests, the Sydney Morning Herald said on Thursday.

Investor Pulse is run by market research firm Colmar Brunton, the  
Sydney Morning Herald and The Age Business Day.

Another 57 per cent of the panel of 2,000 investors surveyed agreed  
that the deal should be restructured as a cross shareholding or as a  
joint venture.

Only 9 per cent of investors supported the current deal structure.  
Some 30 per cent were undecided, the paper said. -- REUTE