When Kevin Maxwell and Ian Maxwell were informed of their father’s disappearance at sea, they requested the Stock Exchange in London to suspend dealing in MCC and MGN shares. The Stock Exchange at first seemed reluctant to suspend trading in the shares simply because the chairman was missing. But as news of the disappearance leaked to the market, the share price of MCC and MGN began to fall. The Stock Exchange then decided on the afternoon of 5 November to suspend trading in MCC and MGN shares. Ian Maxwell was appointed acting chairman of MGN and Kevin Maxwell was appointed as acting chairman of MCC.