With Northern Telecom Ltd more likely to be a seller of its 27% stake in STC Plc than a buyer of more shares, Alcatel NV of France is seen as the most likely hostile bidder for the company – which would only be putting together again what ITT Corp rent asunder – until the early 1980s, STC was the UK end of ITT’s worldwide telecommunications equipment empire, which now makes up the bulk of Alcatel.
