Oi, ref! Give Merrill a Sports Direct yellow

From: Evening Standard - London | Date: July 26, 2007| Author: NEIL COLLINS | Copyright information

IF Merrill Lynch is still capable of embarrassment, Mike Ashley has arranged it. The 43% of Sports Direct that Merrill sold for him for 930 million in March is valued at 470 million today and, given his contempt for the City, it would be in character if he decided to buy the lot back.

Those who paid 300p for shares now trading at 154p relied on Merrill to overcome their misgivings about a man who shuns City contact, has no obvious interest in corporate governance, sports a helicopter o...

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