	duffour igon gives backing to aga takeover bid french industrial gas group duffour et igon has decided to back the takeover bid by swedish industrial gases group aga ab aga st ending a lengthy battle between rival bidders from france spain and west germany duffour et igon chairman jean igon said the board agreed late last night to back the aga bid and advise its shareholders to accept the swedish group s latest offer of francs per share he told reuters the other main bidders were union carbide corp s uk french subsidiary union carbide france and west germany s linde ag ling f aga topped rival bids for the gases distribution group in may by raising its offer to francs from francs this was accepted by spain s carburos metalicos sa which sold aga six pct of duffour et igon s stock and the right of first refusal on the remaining nine pct of stock it holds it also won over the french midi pyrenees development authority which agreed to sell aga its pct stake in duffour et igon under aga s offer shareholders can either accept a cash bid or exchange one share in duffour et igon for one bond of a nominal value of francs with a pct coupon issue by aga france sa the bond issue is guaranteed by the parent aga ab the takeover battle for the toulouse based company which controls eight pct of the french industrial gas distribution market began on april with an offer of francs per share from union carbide france uk aga s offer which puts a price of mln francs on the company closes on june and the results will be announced on july duffour et igon shares were quoted yesterday at francs with no buyers after a series of suspensions during the takeover tussle they traded at francs on january before the first suspension reuter 
