Compagnie des Machines Bull SA has asked NEC Corp to increase its stake in the company, where it currently holds 4.4%, NEC announced in Tokyo: a local newspaper said Bull had asked NEC to invest another $65m, but that would scarcely do more than maintain its present stake; there was no word of the restructuring that was expected to be announced on Friday, but reports before the announcement made it sound more like a simple rearranging of the furniture rather than the root-and-branch revamp needed.