A regulatory filing from major investor The Vanguard Group has dampened speculation about a potential merger between British student accommodation providers Unite Group and Empiric Student Property.
In a disclosure dated July 11, Vanguard stated it was not making disclosures concerning any other party in relation to a potential offer for Unite.
This marks a change from its filings on July 9 and July 10, which had linked the two companies and fueled merger talk under UK takeover rules.
The latest filing shows Vanguard held a 4.53% interest in Unite as of July 10, after purchasing 835 shares for 8.09 British Pounds each.
The removal of Empiric from the disclosure suggests that, from Vanguard's perspective, the conditions requiring the joint disclosure no longer apply.
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