Germany?s Messer SE & Co. KGaA said on February 23, 2024, that it plans to acquire the remaining 17.91% stake in Serbian blue-chip industrial gases maker Messer Tehnogas AD (BELEX:TGAS) that it does not own yet. Messer SE & Co plans to buy 185,711 shares of Messer Tehnogas, the German company said in a bourse filing.

It added it plans to launch the buyout bid within 15 days. Minority shareholders in Messer Tehnogas include OTP Banka Srbija (OTP Banka Srbija AD) with a stake of 2.53%, UniCredit Bank Serbia (UniCredit Bank Srbija a.d., Beograd) with 2.28% as well as a number of other investors, according to Serbia's central registry of securities. Messer Tehnogas' shares last traded on the Belgrade bourse on February 22, 2024, closing 12.85% higher at RSD 23,131 ($214/?197).