Atticus, one of the hedge fund managers behind last year's removal of Deutsche Börse's chairman and chief executive, said it has instigated meetings with potential purchasers of US copper producer Phelps Dodge a month after the company's own merger plans fell apart.

Atticus, which owns 9.97% of Phelps Dodge, said in a document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it "and an investment bank have recently met with several potential investors, including private equity firms and strategic buyers, to discuss each firm's possible interest in pursuing an acquisition of the company."