Telegraph.co.uk – The chatter was that Harbinger, a powerful US hedge fund run by Philip Falcone, has built a small stake in African Minerals and has been talking to London brokers in recent days about picking up more stock. Harbinger declined to comment.

If Harbinger has built a stake in the company, it is not clear what the hedge fund’s intentions are for African Minerals. The group runs a variety of strategies. Sometimes the investment fund acts as a passive, long-only investor. However, Harbinger also has a reputation for being activist and occasionally bids for companies. Last year, for example, Harbinger made a takeover approach for blue-chip satellite services group Inmarsat, which slipped 6.3 to 495.2p.

Mr Falcone is well known in City circles. The trader hit the headlines when it emerged that Harbinger was one of the main hedge funds to have shorted HBOS before the Government orchestrated the bank’s emergency merger with Lloyds, now Lloyds Banking Group.

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