The takeover battle for Alfred McAlpine took a further twist this week after it emerged that the firm could be forced to open its books to Carillion, its potential purchaser, within weeks. It is understood that the move may be triggered by a change of heart on the part of one of McAlpine's most supportive shareholders. If so, it would effectively rule out the hostile bid that has been mooted over the past few days. Audley Capital, which has a 5% stake in McAlpine, said it was "considering its options" after holding discussions with Carillion. Audley had previously insisted that it would not consider any offer under 600p a share, 30p more than has been offered by Carillion.
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