STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Foreign owners, who are more likely to back Old Mutual's (OML.L: Quote, Profile, Research) bid for Skandia (SDIA.ST: Quote, Profile, Research), have a commanding stake in the Swedish firm, Old Mutual said on Thursday, pressuring Skandia's board before the bid deadline.

"It must be recognised that control of this company has passed to shareholders supportive of Old Mutual's offer," a spokesman for Old Mutual said.

Skandia meanwhile declined to comment on a Swedish Dagens Industri newspaper report that Skandia Chief Executive Hans-Erik Andersson had already given up the fight. The group's shares were up 1.31 percent at 46.30 crowns at 11:12 a.m.

New data on Skandia's ownership at the end of November showed foreign shareholders had more than 60 percent of the Swedish firm. Around two thirds of all Skandia's outstanding shares were counted in the figures.

At the beginning of September, when the mixed cash-and-share offer was made public, it was worth 43.60 crowns per Skandia share. On Thursday it valued Skandia at 45.90 crowns per share.

The shareholder data showed Credit Suisse First Boston as the biggest owner with a 5.4 percent stake. U.S. investment firm Paulson & Co came next at 5.1 percent, followed by Fidelity Mutual Funds at 5.0 percent.

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