CANBERRA (Dow Jones)--Singapore-based, New Zealand-born billionaire Richard Chandler's Chandler Corp. will take a 25% to 40% stake in Australian forestry company Gunns Ltd. (GNS.AU), the Australian Financial Review reported Tuesday. Gunns is understood to be seeking to raise between A$250 million and A$350 million in fresh equity that would help erase some of its A$580 million debt, the paper reported without citing a source. Chandler, who is worth a reported US$4 billion, holds interests in a wide range of businesses, including telecommunications, power, steel, banking and energy, and is the biggest shareholder in Canadian forestry group Sinoforests, it said. Gunns was placed in a trading halt Monday, pending news of a capital raising and equity placement.
GNS Price at posting:
12.5¢ Sentiment: None Disclosure: Not Held