General Cinema Buys Larger Cadbury Stake

General Cinema, a leading theater operator and soft-drink bottler, has more than doubled its stake to 18.2% in British candy and beverage maker Cadbury Schweppes PLC, General Cinema said Tuesday.

Cadbury Schweppes, one of Britain’s leading companies, told General Cinema last January--when General Cinema announced that it had acquired an initial 8.3% share stake in the company--that any further stock purchases would be unwelcome.

General Cinema, which has held substantial interests in New York-based Columbia Pictures Industries and Carter Hawley Hale Stores of Los Angeles, said last winter that it would not seek control of Cadbury Schweppes.

General Cinema said that it had paid $228 million for its recent stock purchase.

Analysts have said managers of Cadbury Schweppes likely fear that General Cinema will seek a seat on the company’s board and try to influence its business.