Alert : NEWSXemplar interest
Separately, Rio Tinto is interested in buying Xemplar (XE), a Canadian uranium explorer with operations in Namibia, according to a report in The Sunday Express. Rio wants an independent verification of a Xemplar site in Namibia before bidding, the newspaper reported.
The group had a market capitalization of C$737 million ($742 million) as of Friday, but is worth close to $2 billion, according to Marc Elliott, an analyst at Fairfax in London.
Besides Rio, France's Areva (004524) or a Chinese firm may have interest in buying Xemplar, Elliott added.
Xemplar shares jumped 23% in early trading in Canada. Rio Tinto shares slipped 2.8% in London