Aston Resources IPO could be priced next wk -report

SYDNEY, July 29 (Reuters) - Australian coal miner Aston Resources could price an IPO set to raise up to A$400 million ($360.4 million) as early as next week after it clinched cornerstone investors for a quarter of the offering, the Australian Financial Review said.

Noble Group (NOBG.SI) and Itochu (8001.T) agreed to take about A$100 million of the new stock on offer in a last minute deal, the paper said on Thursday without citing its sources.

The float would mark the largest offering this year after a A$1.2 billion IPO of the Australian unit of German construction group Bilfinger Berger (GBFG.DE) was pulled earlier this month, adding to the gloom in the IPO pipeline.

Equity issuances in Australia have slumped by 80 percent so far this year as global uncertainty and fragile equity markets scare away investors.

Aston Resources could not immediately be reached for comment.

Goldman Sachs JBWere (GS.N), Macquarie capital Advisers (MQG.AX) and Credit Suisse (CSGN.VX) and BKK Partners are advising Aston on the IPO, the paper said. (Reporting by Narayanan Somasundaram; Editing by Balazs Koranyi)