Corus was in the spotlight yesterday on news that Alisher Usmanov, a Russian tycoon, was forward selling about 400m shares in the steelmaker through a complex derivatives deal with Credit Suisse First Boston.

CSFB sold the shares, worth about £215m, at 53½p, which was the closing price on the day after a 0.9 per cent fall. The sale reduced the holding of Mr Usmanov's vehicle Gallagher to 1.5 per cent.