AIG擬350億美元將友邦出售給英國保誠

AIG and Prudential are on the verge of sealing a deal for the sale of AIA, the US life company’s Asian business, to the UK’s biggest insurer for up to $35bn, with a deal expected to be announced this week.

美國壽險公司美國國際集團(AIG)即將達成交易，將旗下亞洲業(yè)務(wù)友邦保險(AIA)以至多350億美元的價格出售給英國最大保險公司保誠集團(Prudential)。預(yù)計雙方將于本周宣布此項交易。

The board of AIG held talks this weekend to decide whether to sell its huge Asian business or proceed with a planned listing of the unit after a presentation by Tidjane Thiam, Pru chief executive, on Friday.

在保誠集團首席執(zhí)行官迪德簡•蒂亞姆(Tidjane Thiam)上周五提交了收購方案后，AIG董事會上周末舉行了磋商，以決定是否出售其龐大的亞洲業(yè)務(wù)，還是推進這塊業(yè)務(wù)的上市計劃。

According to people familiar with the situation, a deal is at an advanced stage and has been agreed in principle, while others say that the stricken US insurer and its owners could still plump for the $15bn-$20bn initial public offering that AIA has been preparing for almost a year.

據(jù)知情人士介紹，談判已進入深入階段，并已得到雙方原則同意。但也有人表示，身處困境的AIG及其股東，仍可能選擇推進友邦保險150億至200億美元的首次公開發(fā)行(IPO)。近一年來，友邦保險一直為此做著準備。

Prudential declined to comment.

保誠集團拒絕置評。

Buying AIA would represent a stunning coup by Prudential and enable the UK group – which already books a third of its global sales in Asia – to become an insurance powerhouse in the region. A deal would more than double the size of the company and mean that its business would be dominated by Asian sales and profits.

收購友邦保險可謂是保誠集團的一個神來之筆，這家英國集團將因此成為亞洲地區(qū)的保險業(yè)龍頭——保誠集團在亞洲的銷售額現(xiàn)已占其全球銷售額的三分之一。此項交易將使該集團規(guī)模擴大一倍以上，并意味著亞洲的銷售額和利潤將在其業(yè)務(wù)中占據(jù)首要地位。

However, it could also stretch its finances and face opposition from shareholders.

但此項交易也可能導(dǎo)致其財務(wù)狀況趨于緊張，并因此受到股東們的反對。

However, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday that there was a strong chance that a sale announcement could be made before the opening today of the London market, where Prudential is listed.

不過，知情人士上周六表示，此項交易很可能會在本周一倫敦股市開盤前宣布。保誠集團是倫敦上市公司。

“There are still a few issues to iron out which could scupper a deal but this [sale] could be announced soon,” said one person familiar with the matter.

“目前仍有幾個有礙交易的問題有待解決，但此項[交易]可能很快就會宣布，”一位知情人士表示。

The US Treasury and the New York Federal Reserve, which have an 80 per cent stake in AIG following repeated bail-outs of the insurer, were also being consulted, AIG insiders said.

AIG內(nèi)部人士表示，他們也征詢了美國財政部與紐約聯(lián)儲(New York Fed)的意見。在多次對AIG進行紓困后，美國財政部與紐約聯(lián)儲持有這家保險公司80%的股份。

An outright sale of AIA to Prudential could enable AIG to raise more funds than by listing a stake in the unit.

相對于讓友邦保險上市，把友邦保險全盤出售給保誠集團可使AIG籌得更多的資金。

Mr Thiam was in New York last week in an effort to persuade AIG’s management that his company had both the desire and the ability to buy AIA.

蒂亞姆上周就呆在紐約，力圖勸說AIG管理層相信：他的公司既有意愿、也有能力收購友邦保險。

If the sale goes ahead, the UK group would have to raise at least part of the funds through a large equity issue.

如果此項交易得以執(zhí)行，這家英國集團肯定會通過一次大規(guī)模發(fā)股來籌得至少一部分收購資金。

People familiar with the matter said that Prudential had lined up financing options with JPMorgan Chase, HSBC and Credit Suisse, among others.

知情人士表示，保誠集團已與摩根大通(JPMorgan Chase)、匯豐(HSBC)和瑞士信貸(Credit Suisse)等機構(gòu)安排了多項融資方案。

AIG is already in advanced talks with its US rival MetLife over the $15bn-$20bn sale of Alico, its international insurance arm.

AIG與美國競爭對手大都會人壽保險(MetLife)就出售旗下跨國保險子公司——美國人壽保險(Alico)的談判已近尾聲。美國人壽保險的售價為150億至200億美元。

AIA is the leading pan-Asian foreign insurer, followed by Prudential. It boasts 20m policyholders across 13 countries, employs 250,000 tied agents and makes aggregate operating profits of about $2bn a year.

友邦保險是位居首位的泛亞洲外資保險公司，保誠集團緊隨其后。友邦保險的投保人有2000萬、遍布13個國家，聘用的固定代理人(tied agent)有25萬，年總營業(yè)利潤約為20億美元。

英國《金融時報》記者弗朗西斯科•格雷拉(Francesco Guerrera)紐約、森迪普•塔克(Sundeep Tucker)香港、保羅•J•戴維斯(Paul J Davies)倫敦報道

譯者/汪洋