Fortress consortium lifts offer for U.K. supermarket chain Morrisons to $9.3 billion

The consortium, backed by the Morrisons board, said it “remains committed to becoming the new owner of Morrisons and to being a responsible long-term steward of this great British company through the next stage of its evolution.”

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Koch Real Estate and Cambourne Life Investment also are participating in the Fortress-led bid.

Morrisons MRW, +2.50% shares rose 2% to 278 pence.

The London Stock Exchange LSEG, +5.03% was the FTSE 100 biggest gainer, rallying 6% as the exchange operator nearly doubled pretax profits and said it was on track to meet full-year guidance.

Hikma Pharmaceuticals HIK, -7.08% slumped 7%, even as results for the first half topped expectations, and analysts said the generic drugmaker’s new guidance implies upward revisions to full-year estimates.