Deutsche Boerse chief Werner Seifert told the London Stock Exchange he will make a hostile bid unless the board backs his take-over offer, a source familiar with the talks said on Wednesday. "He made it clear that they either give in or he comes with his tanks," said the source. A spokesman for Deutsche Boerse said the German stock market operator was still seeking LSE's approval for its bid, but he declined to comment on what would happen if it did not win its backing. The LSE was not immediately available for comment.
Shares in Deutsche Boerse deepened their losses on the news - they were down 0.92 percent to 45 euros at 1425 GMT - while shares in the LSE reversed earlier declines.
Deutsche Boerse has offered 1.3 billion pounds ($2.45 billion) for its British rival, which the London exchange has rejected as too low. Since then talks between the two have been ongoing.