Marel, an Icelandic food equipment maker, has taken advantage of current Dutch law by increasing its stake in Stork, a conglomerate that is subject to a buyout bid, to 30% without tabling a formal offer. Such a move will soon be outlawed in The Netherlands.

A consortium led by Marel has boosted its stake in Stork from 25% to more than 30%. It has progressively raised its holding in the conglomerate over the last three months after rejecting Candover's €47 per share bid in June, triggering speculation from analysts that the Icelandic group is planning to acquire Stork's food systems unit.