Brazil’s Batista Steps Down As Chairman Of MPX

SAO PAULO (AP) – Brazilian billionaire Eike Batista has stepped down as chairman of energy company MPX Energia after it was forced to call off a long-sought IPO. MPX is part of Batista’s EBX Group. The conglomerate also includes logistics and mining firms. The company says in a Thursday statement that former board vice chairman Jorgen Kildahl has been named interim chairman. Kildahl is also a member of the board of management of E.ON, the German utility that has a 36 percent stake in MPX.

The statement also says that MPX’s board of directors approved a capital increase of 800 million reals ($356 million) at 6.45 reals ($2.96) per share. It says the increase replaced the planned IPO “after market conditions substantially worsened in the last few weeks.”