The shake-up in the Norwegian financial sector is far from over as the country's two biggest groups, DnB and Gjensidige NOR, proceed with merger plans to create a company with a market capitalisation of around $5.5bn (€4.8bn).

The link-up, which is due to be voted on at extraordinary meetings next week, is not going entirely smoothly, however. There have been accusations of insider dealing as the two groups worked on the deal, and a much higher offer for Gjensidige from Denmark's Danske Bank got nowhere.