SSL International, the Durex condoms and Scholl sandals group, watched its share price jump more than 13 per cent at one stage on Wednesday morning. After months of resurgent bid speculation, senior market sources said they believed the company was about to confirm that it has received a takeover approach.
The identity of the suitor, however, has remained a mystery. Reckitt Benckiser, Johnson & Johnson and Energizer, the battery business which also has a personal care division, have all been mentioned in the past. On Wednesday those names were joined by the speculative suggestion that SSL had attracted the interest of private equity.
With the stock having advanced 20 per cent in the space of three weeks, SSL is now capitalised at £830m.