BOWATER BUYS BUILDERS' MERCHANTS HOOPER AND ASHBY
Bowater Industries Plc <BWTR.L> said it
had agreed to buy Southampton-based builders' merchants <Hooper
and Ashby Ltd> for 718,545 Bowater shares, floating rate
unsecured loan stock and cash.
    It gave no further financial details besides saying that a
final payment of cash or loan stock would be made when audited
accounts were available.
    Hooper is a family-owned business which had a turnover of
around 25 mln stg in 1986 and net assets of about nine mln stg.
    Bowater shares were unchanged at 495p on Thursday.
 REUTER
