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摘要

LEAVE it to the Americans to besiege Euro-i_ipean companies in August, when the entire continent is on holiday. It emerged this month that Corvex Management, an American hedge fund, had built up a $400m position in Danone, a French food giant. AkzoNobel, a Dutch paints-and-chemicals firm which has been under heavy fire from Elliott Advisors, a subsidiary of another American activist fund, agreed to appoint three new directors to its board. An even bigger skirmish is under way in Switzerland, where Third Point, an American fund run by Daniel Loeb, is seeking to shake up Nestle, the world's biggest food company. Ulf Mark Schneider, Nes-tlé's new boss, is under pressure to present bold plans to investors in September.