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Citigroup looking into a bid for ABN AMRO - paper
(Adds detail, shares)
AMSTERDAM, March 23 (Reuters) - Some executives within Citigroup (C.N) are pushing for the U.S. banking giant to make a bid for ABN AMRO AAH.AS, which is in discussions about a possible merger with Barclays (BARC.L), the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
Citigroup is studying whether to make a bid for ABN AMRO, the Netherlands' biggest bank, and could make a hostile bid, the newspaper said, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.
Spokespeople for both banks declined to comment.
Barclays has clinched an exclusive agreement to negotiate with ABN AMRO and has drawn up a broad merger outline for a combined bank worth more than $166 billion that would be listed in London, headquartered in Amsterdam and have its two top jobs split.
Citigroup, HSBC (HSBA.L), Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L) and Santander (SAN.MC) have been cited as analysts as potential other bidders for ABN AMRO, which entered into talks with Barclays after hedge TCI called on the Dutch bank last month to break up or sell itself to boost returns to shareholders.
ABN AMRO shares were flat in Amsterdam, at 31.72 euros, but up more than 14 percent in the last month. The DJ Stoxx Banking Index .SX7P was down 2.8 percent at 0830 GMT.
Barclays was down 0.3 percent at 737 pence on the London Stock Exchange at 0847 GMT. Citigroup closed 0.4 percent lower at $51.84 on the New York Stock Exchange.
Analysts have warned that if and when Barclays makes an offer for ABN AMRO, expected within the next one or two weeks, a counter-bidder could come in with a more lucrative offer.
((Reporting by Reed Stevenson; editing by Sue Thomas and Erica Billingham; Reuters Messaging: reed.stevenson.reuters.com@reuters.net; +31 20 504 5002)) Keywords: ABN BARCLAYS/CITIGROUP
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