Shipping magnate John Fredriksen has signalled he is going nowhere for now as a Euronav investor following his decision to pull out of a merger plan.

The backer of tanker company Frontline has increased his stake in his Belgian rival to 20.31% from 17.78% after selling a 1% holding in December.

Stock in Euronav crashed after the combination with Frontline collapsed earlier this month, as shareholders feared a Fredriksen sell-off.