text: Bowater Industries Plc &lt;BWTR.L> said it had agreed to buy Southampton-based builders merchants &lt;Hooper and Ashby Ltd> for 718545 Bowater shares floating rate unsecured loan stock and cash. It gave no further financial details besides saying that a final payment of cash or loan stock would be made when audited accounts were available. Hooper is a family-owned business which had a turnover of around 25 mln stg in 1986 and net assets of about nine mln stg. Bowater shares were unchanged at 495p on Thursday. REUTER
target: BOWATER BUYS BUILDERS' MERCHANTS HOOPER AND ASHBY