Wednesday October 29 2008 VW share price crashes back down as Porsche says it will boost liquidity in VW stock by settling options at 5 per cent of the ordinary share price. Authorities responsible for German index Dax say they will lower VW's weighting on the index, creating pressure for index-linked funds to sell.

Tuesday 28 VW share price climbs to close at €919.5, briefly above €1,000 making it the world's biggest company, ahead of Exxon Mobil.

Monday 27 VW share price soars to €471, forcing hedge funds to buy back shares to close short positions.

Sunday 26 Porsche reveals it has raised its direct stake in VW in the month from 35.2 per cent to 42.6 per cent and had options on a further 31.5 per cent. It said that depending on the global economic situation, it intends to lift its stake to above 75 per cent in 2009, freeing the way for a "domination agreement" under German corporate law.

Thursday 16 - Friday 24 Financial crisis begins to hit home, hedge fund short-selling beginning to have effect on price.

Wednesday September 17 - Thursday October 16 Share price of VW soars to record levels of €400 as prospect of Porsche bid and scarcity of available shares makes them valuable. But short-sellers begin taking positions as they reckon the price is overvalued.

Wednesday 17 Porsche raises its voting stake in Volkswagen to 35.14 per cent, a step it said gave it effective control over VW by ensuring it has a majority at shareholder meetings. Porsche described the step as a "milestone" in its long-standing plan to boost its stake in Europe's biggest carmaker above 50 per cent and seize full control.

September 2008 EC plans to take German Government to court over the sale of Lower Saxony's 20 per cent holding in Volkswagen. Porsche has a 30 per cent stake and wants to increase to 50 per cent before a full takeover.

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