WH Smith follows Astaire to Merrill

Tuesday 19 July 2005 at 16:00

ABN Amro Hoare Govett has lost the corporate broking mandate for UK retailer WH Smith to Merrill Lynch, where former Hoare Govett banker Mark Astaire is vice-chairman of corporate broking.

Merrill Lynch, Hoare Govett, Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse First Boston pitched for the mandate to be joint broker to WH Smith alongside JP Morgan Cazenove.