PLACER <PLC> TO INCREASE STAKE IN EQUITY SILVER <Equity Silver Mines Ltd> said it agreed to sell 6.6 mln shares of a new class of par value voting stock to Placer Development Ltd for 37.1 mln dlrs, increasing Placer's stake in Equity to 74.5 pct from 68 pct. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and a vote by Equity minority shareholders at the April 23 annual meeting, the company said. Proceeds from sale of the shares, priced at 5.625 dlrs each, will be used to buy and deliver 4,985,000 ounces of silver to Placer, Equity said. Equity Silver said the silver remains to be delivered under its sale agreement with Placer, after delivery of its 750,000 ounce minimum commitment for 1987. Equity said it arranged to acquire 4,985,000 ounces of silver at 7.40 dlrs an ounces, subject to selling the shares to Placer. Purchase and delivery of the silver to Placer will result in an after-tax gain of about 6.6 mln dlrs, Equity said. It also said the stock and silver transactions will create a 37,059,000 dlr fund out of which dividends will be paid when cash is available. The cash fund will enable Equity Silver to continue to pay dividends on its preferred shares and increase the likelihood that it may be able to pay dividends on its common shares, the company said. It did not elaborate on what common share dividends might be paid. The company normally pays quarterly preferred dividends totalling 619,000 dlrs from retained earnings, Equity Silver said. Equity Silver had retained earnings of 2,312,000 dlrs at December 31, 1986.