Guoco Group, a Malaysia-based investment and financial services company trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, has purchased more shares in UK gambling operator Rank Group, bringing its total ownership of Rank up to 12.67 percent.
Guoco slowly and steadily has been increasing its investment in Rank since January, at which time it owned about 4 percent of the shares.
The easy speculation is that Guoco is preparing to make a purchase bid for Rank, although it has made no verbal statements to that effect.
Another Malaysian company, Genting Berhard, owns 8.95 percent of Rank.