Swiss food giant Nestle surprised financial markets...

Swiss food giant Nestle surprised financial markets by announcing that it will allow foreigners to buy its registered shares for the first time. The company, which has made several aggressive purchases recently, also took anti-takeover steps by imposing restrictions on the size of the stake any group or individual may hold. Nestle had refused to register shares bought by foreigners, thus denying them voting rights and following a Swiss trend of ensuring domestic control of the company. Nestle said it made the new decision because of the increasing globalization of financial markets. The registered shares closed in Zurich at $2,972.