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
BOWATER BUYS BUILDERS' MERCHANTS HOOPER AND ASHBY