UK shareholders in Unilever may be forced to sell their stakes after the company indicated it will leave the FTSE series of indexes when it switches from a dual Anglo-Dutch structure in favour of a single headquarters in Rotterdam.
In a presentation delivered at the Deutsche Bank Conference today, the company - which makes Persil, Dove soap and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream - said it had “deep engagement” with FTSE Russell, but that it was “extremely unlikely to be included in FTSE UK series”.
Instead, once the company shifts its headquarters to Rotterdam, it would be more likely to increase its weighting in Europe's blue-chip index EuroStoxx.
The news will come as a blow to the company and its UK...