British financier Sir James Goldsmith has acquired...

British financier Sir James Goldsmith has acquired a stake in B. F. Goodrich Co. but is not interested in taking over the former tire maker, Goodrich reported. The Akron, Ohio-based company issued a statement in response to a published report that at least one corporate raider, and possibly two, had acquired stakes in Goodrich. USA Today reported that Goldsmith has reportedly acquired close to 5% of Goodrich’s outstanding shares. The Securities and Exchange Commission requires stockholders to reveal their interest in a company if it exceeds 5%. The paper said another unidentified raider had purchased about 2% of the company’s shares. The firm said Goldsmith called Goodrich Chairman John D. Ong “to say that the press reports indicating that he has an interest in acquiring Goodrich are erroneous.”