On the other side of the ledger, Walt Disney shares shot up 6.8% after the Mickey Mouse operation booked better-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter earnings on strength in its cable properties like ESPN and a steady performance from its theme park business.
The acquisition gives control over the network to Viacom (nyse: VIA.B - news - people ), which delivered a first-quarter profit off the strength of its other cable networks, including MTV .
Business Secretary Vince Cable described the announcement as "excellent news" and said he saw it as "further evidence of the strength of the UK automotive sector".