Barclays urged to end Amro bid

A New York-based activist investor has called on Barclays to drop its takeover of Dutch rival ABN Amro, it emerged today.

Atticus Capital, which holds a 1% stake in the UK bank, said it viewed the proposed £45bn (€66.3bn) deal as an offer to buy “an inferior business in an auction at inflated prices”, adding that it would seek to lobby other investors.