• Most Popular
  • Most Shared

UPDATE 1-Korea Life may raise around $2 bln in IPO-sources

Thu Nov 5, 2009 10:34pm EST

Stocks

   

* Valued at $10 bln, plans 20 pct public float-sources

Stocks  |  IPOs  |  Global Markets  |  China  |  South Korea  |  Financials

* AIA, China Pacific Insurance eye listings (Adds details, background)

By Michael Flaherty and Narayanan Somasundaram

HONG KONG, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Korea Life Insurance Co., the country's No. 2 life insurer, may raise around $2 billion through its public offering, sources with direct knowledge of the matter said, in what would be Korea's largest IPO since 2006.

Korea Life joins a rash of planned insurance offerings in Asia, as the industry seeks to expand and as rising stock markets lift earnings for life insurers, for whom investment returns are a key source of income.

The Asia insurance IPO list includes AIG's AIA, Shanghai-traded China Pacific Insurance (601601.SS), which aims to raise $3.5 billion in Hong Kong, and Reliance Life in India.

Sources on Friday pegged the value of Korea Life at roughly $10 billion, and the expectation is to float a fifth of the business.

If Korea Life manages to raise that much, it would be the biggest IPO in South Korea since Lotte Shopping's (023530.KS) $3.8 billion listing in 2006.

"Internally, nothing has been decided on the IPO size," a Korea Life Insurance spokesman said. "We have just started the preparation process."

The insurance firm has mandated six banks, including Goldman Sachs (GS.N), JPMorgan (JPM.N) and Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE), to arrange the IPO.

(Additional reporting by Kim Yeon-hee in SEOUL; Editing by Jonathan Hopfner)



More from Reuters

Fannie, Freddie CEO pay gets regulator nod: report

(Reuters) - The U.S. housing regulator has approved pay packages for the chief executives of mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the range of $4 million to $6 million, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) addresses senate health care legislation in a news conference at the US Capitol in Washington, December 19, 2009. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Reid delivers on healthcare

Party-line Senate vote passes bill that would extend health coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans, but it's not law yet.  Full Article 

A security guard walks past cars in a Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. factory in a Shanghai suburb September 28, 2006.REUTERS/Aly Song

China in auto power play

It might not shake up the industry just yet, but China's interest in Volvo and Saab is the start of something big in global autos.  Commentary | Video