March 22 - The following are the top stories on the business pages of British newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
The Times
- IHS Inc, the American owner of publications including Jane's Defence Weekly, will move to London after agreeing to a deal to take over Markit Ltd in an all-share merger that values the combined business at more than $13 billion. (http://thetim.es/1pw9AeK)
- Henri de Castries, chairman and chief executive of Axa SA , announced his retirement yesterday from the company he has led for nearly 17 years, leading to mounting expectations that the French financier is preparing to take the chair at HSBC Holdings PLC. (http://thetim.es/1pw9J1O)
The Guardian
- Sports Direct International Plc's founder Mike Ashley has challenged the authority of a parliamentary select committee by refusing to appear before MPs investigating pay and working conditions at the retailer, despite being formally summoned. (http://bit.ly/1pw9Muq)
- Britain's biggest companies could face a credit downgrade - potentially forcing up their borrowing costs - should the UK vote to leave the EU in June, according to a report by a leading ratings agency. (http://bit.ly/1pwdDaR)
The Telegraph
- Five Guys, the U.S. burger chain which counts President Barack Obama among its fans, has overtaken Nandos as the UK's most popular fast-food chain just two years since arriving in this country. (http://bit.ly/1pwakRg)
- Atlantic Healthcare, a Cambridge-based drugs company, has raised $24 million as it reaches the final stages of developing a drug that could relieve the suffering of people with severe inflammatory bowel conditions. (http://bit.ly/1pwao3e)
Sky News
- Lyndon Nelson, the executive director for UK deposit-takers supervision at the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), was among a small number of candidates interviewed about replacing Andrew Bailey as its chief executive. (http://bit.ly/1pwaOXp)
- British sports car maker TVR is to make its new generation of vehicles in south Wales, creating 150 jobs. (http://bit.ly/22AL0YK)
The Independent
- Carmignac Gestion's head of European equities, Muhammed Yesilhark, departs after investing in barely ever traded scheme run by Tory donor Lars Windhorst, who is advised by the former Business Secretary. (http://ind.pn/1pwfDjp) (Compiled by Shalini Nagarajan in Bengaluru; Edited by Alistair Bell)