Trading in the shares of minimaker Norsk Data A/S has resumed on the Oslo Stock Exchange following the investigation into the proportion of its shares that were in foreign hands. Under Norwegian government rules, foreign holdings in a company deemed strategic, such as Norsk Data, cannot exceed 49% of the equity, and the enquiry revealed that 49% of the A shares were indeed now in foreign hands. That means that no more of the Norwegian A shares can now be sold to foreigners, and A shares can only be converted into B shares if there is an equal number of foreign shares coming back into Norway. The tendency will now be for foreign demand for Norsk Data shares to exceed supply.
