Barclays Plc says it is still confident of succeeding with its takeover bid for Dutch rival ABN Amro, but acknowledged that much will depend on its share price in the next two months, Reuters reports.
“Am I confident about our ability to win the ABN Amro merger? Yes I am, but I recognise there is a significant dependency on where our stock is trading at the relevant time,” Barclays Chief Executive John Varley told reporters on a conference call accompanying its results.
He adds: “The issue is not where the share price is today, it’s where the share price is when ABN shareholders come to vote, and that is more than two months away.”
Britain’s third biggest bank is engaged in the world’s biggest bank takeover battle for ABN with a consortium led by Royal Bank of Scotland.