Inside BHP's move on Rio Tinto

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BHP warns of Chinese risk if Rio Tinto deal fails
NEWS: Don Argus moves to sway competition regulators. (July 21)

Perils of a Rio break-up
COMMENTARY: There are hints from London that Rio Tinto would rather sell off its constituent parts than accept BHP's offer. If it did, it would put the Rudd government on a collision course with China. (July 17)

BHP, Rio take different roads to Europe
NEWS: BHP Billiton is wooing the European iron ore market with lower prices than Asia, as Rio Tinto justifies its mid-2008 increases. (July 9)

BHP gets 20-day extension
NEWS: BHP Billiton has been granted a 20-day extension to a European Union (EU) inquiry into the miner's takeover bid for Rio Tinto. (July 7)

EU opens investigation of Rio-BHP deal
NEWS: BHP's $US170 billion bid may lead to higher iron prices, commission says. (July 5)

BHP faces global hurdles
NEWS: BHP Billiton has secured an iron ore price rise with its Chinese customers, understood to be similar to Rio Tinto's 79.88% increase. (July 4)

Rio bid clears US hurdles
NEWS: World's largest miner scores regulatory win for Rio Tinto takeover. (July 3)

EU's new horizon for BHP
COMMENTARY: The European Commission is expected to extend the terms of its review into the effects of the BHP bid for Rio Tinto from three to seven years. It's been interpreted as a negative for BHP but it isn't necessarily the case. (July 3)

BHP's Rio bid set to pass first milestone
NEWS: Australian resources group BHP Billiton is one step closer to realising its goal of taking over rival Rio Tinto. (June 27)

Rio's iron ore deal won't tilt the scales in takeover stoush with BHP
NEWS: Australian miners, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, will both gain large increases in iron ore prices. (June 25)

BHP bid to regain the Rio ground
NEWS: Australian resources group BHP Billiton has struck back in the takeover battle with its target, Rio Tinto. (June 25)

Rio spins iron ore deal into bid defence
NEWS: China's Baosteel to pay up to 96.5 per cent more for iron ore. (June 24)

BHP and Rio agree on the give and take
NEWS: Australia's BHP Billiton is making a $A180 billion bid to take over rival Rio Tinto. (June 19)

On shaky ground
COMMENTARY: With a share price ratio favouring BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto needs to pull something special out of its hat. (June 16)

BHP Billiton, Rio to have modest share: Kloppers
NEWS: Merged group would have about 1/4 of market share, BHP chief says. (June 11)

BHP Billiton makes formal offer to Rio Tinto
NEWS: BHP Billiton has announced a revised takeover bid for fellow resources giant Rio Tinto. (May 29)

Sparring miners go Tinto-for-tat as Rio talks up value of nickel project
NEWS: Rio Tinto management has rejected a takeover offer from rival BHP Billiton. (May 29)

Albanese to point out Rio's true value
NEWS: The mining group, Rio Tinto, is fighting off a $A180 billion takeover offer from BHP Billiton. (May 27)

Albanese to point out Rio Tinto's true value
NEWS: Rio boss to focus on growth potential in key presentation to investors. (May 27)

BHP delays date with regulators over Rio bid
NEWS: BHP Billiton is taking its time to submit an application to global competition regulators over its bid for Rio Tinto. (May 26)

Scrutiny by EU delays BHP bid
NEWS: BHP Billiton is taking its time to submit an application to global competition regulators over its bid for Rio Tinto. (May 26)

BHP Billiton faces EU scrutiny over Rio Tinto bid
NEWS: Sources say BHP facing more questions from regulators than expected. (May 25)

BHP Billiton 'may target oil major after Rio'
NEWS: Austock says BHP better positioned to grow in oil, gas sectors. (May 22)

BHP Billiton may add cash to Rio Tinto bid
NEWS: Miner's shares surge on Chinese stake rumours. (May 15)

Kloppers v Kroes: it's make or break time for BHP
NEWS: BHP Billiton wants to pay $A160 billion to take over its rival, Rio Tinto. The head of BHP Billiton, Marius Kloppers, must convince the European Commission (EC) that it should allow the bid. (May 14)

BHP Billiton, China differ on antitrust
NEWS: BHP Billiton does not plan on notifying Chinese anti-monopoly authorities as part of its antitrust clearance process. (May 14)

BHP Billiton could sell assets if it gets Rio
NEWS: CEO says aluminium, copper, ferrous could be sold. (May 9)

Rio Tinto under pressure
COMMENTARY: BHP's single minded pursuit of Rio Tinto is beginning to yield some results. As Rio Tinto eases to trade roughly in line with the offer, its negotiating position has weakened significantly. (May 8)

Miner flaunts reserves in fresh bid to woo Rio
NEWS: Marius Kloppers, CEO of Australian-listed resources group BHP Billiton, has briefed analysts in the UK. (May 8)

Rio Tinto sees break-up as a reserve option: report
NEWS: Takeover target may consider move to get best return for shareholders, report says. (May 2)

Rio Tinto's reservations revealed
COMMENTARY: Rio Tinto chairman Paul Skinner has finally explained his reservations over the BHP Billiton bid in an exclusive interview with Business Spectator. (April 30)

Focus turns to small investors
NEWS: BHP Billiton is trying to gain the support of small shareholders for its hostile takeover bid for Rio Tinto. (April 30)

BHP to let internal bid deadline slip
NEWS: BHP Billiton has not yet applied to EU regulators over its proposed takeover of Rio Tinto. (April 30)

BHP's new weapon
COMMENTARY: A bumper third quarter from BHP's petroleum division has left Rio Tinto's Tom Albanese looking mildly foolish. It provides much needed ammunition for BHP, at an important point in the battle.(April 23)

Mining giant BHP attacks Rio's performance
NEWS: Takeover battle gets more hostile as Kloppers questions Rio's outlook. (April 23)

Thirty billion reasons to parley
COMMENTARY: Even in the absence of a second offer from BHP, Rio Tinto would find it hard to explain to shareholders why it knocked back today's sharemarket gains. (November 11)

Twiggy's $740 million windfall
COMMENTARY: Fortescue's boss has already made a lot of money from the BHP plan. (November 9)

Strike while the iron's hot
COMMENTARY: BHP's low bid for Rio has sent a very public signal to competitors. Now it must make another offer quickly and keep China and Canberra sweet to boot. (November 10)

A tale of four entities
COMMENTARY: The fact that both BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto are dual-listed companies makes a deal much simpler. In fact, it would be unlikely to happen any other way. (November 9)

A galaxy of opportunities
COMMENTARY: Buying Rio Tinto would give BHP Billiton tremendous assets in a number of important markets. That's why Rio's price is certain to be high. (November 9)

BHP's CyKlops turns gaze on Rio
COMMENTARY: Marius Kloppers is a determined man. He will need to be if he is to accomplish this enormous task.

What a beautiful, impossible, merger it would be
COMMENTARY: Rio Tinto is both a wondrous prize and a huge risk for BHP. That Marius Kloppers is going for it is almost a sign of desperation. (November 9)

Kloppers acts upon old dream
COMMENTARY: When one giant bids for another in a booming market, valuations are never going to be easy. BHP's advance looks set to be revised and repeated. (November 9)

BHP turns to Gresham and Goldman Sachs
COMMENTARY: The enormous scale of the proposed merger would bump Gresham and Goldman Sachs to the top of the league tables. (November 9)

Creating a mining super major
COMMENTARY: Despite all the hurdles it faces, BHP's move is simply bold, not far-fetched. (November 9)