UPDATE 1-VisaNet IPO totals $4.3 bln, at top of range

Thu Jun 25, 2009 7:26pm EDT

* IPO raises 8.4 bln reais, Brazil's biggest-ever

* Shareholders sell 559.8 mln shares at top of price range (Adds details of offering, background)

SAO PAULO, June 25 (Reuters) - VisaNet, the Brazilian affiliate of credit card network Visa Inc (V.N), said on Thursday its shareholders raised 8.4 billion reais ($4.3 billion) from the company's initial public offering, the largest ever in the country.

VisaNet said shareholders -- including Banco Bradesco (BBDC4.SA), Banco Santander (SAN.MC), Banco do Brasil (BBAS3.SA) and Visa International -- sold 559.81 million shares at a price of 15 reais each. The stock was sold at the top of the estimated price range of 12 reais to 15 reais.

The shareholders initially planned to sell 477.67 million shares, but underwriters exercised their option to sell additional shares to meet demand, making the IPO among the biggest in the world the past year.

VisaNet VNET3.SA, whose formal name is Cia Brasileira de Meios de Pagamento, begins trading on Monday.

Bradesco BBI, the investment banking arm of Bradesco, managed the offering.

Bradesco on Wednesday banned 19 brokerages, including its own Bradesco SA Corretora and Agora, from participating in the massive IPO because the firms allegedly had released unapproved advertising material about the sale.

Before the IPO, Bradesco held a 39 percent stake in VisaNet; Banco do Brasil, a 31 percent interest; and Spain's Santander, a 14 percent stake. After the IPO, the three banks still controlled a majority of VisaNet's shares.

Visa Inc unit Visa International was also part of the controlling group but reduced its 10 percent stake to zero.

Brazil's largest private sector bank, Itau Unibanco (ITUB4.SA), and the Brazilian unit of HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA.L), also sold their stakes. (Reporting by Reese Ewing, Writing by Elzio Barreto; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

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