ZURICH—Swiss chemicals company Clariant AG and U.S.-based Huntsman Corp. on Friday said they had terminated their planned $15 billion merger after facing pressure from investors who wanted to block the deal. The deal’s failure highlights the growing influence of activist investors across Europe, with Swiss consumer giant Nestle SA, Dutch paint company Akzo Nobel NV and London-listed miner BHP Billiton PLC all facing high-profile tussles with shareholders agitating for change.

Source: Wall Street Journal October 27, 2017 05:22 UTC