RBS group unveils $98 bln bid plan for ABN AMRO

LONDON, April 25 (Reuters) - A group of banks led by Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) has unveiled a 72-billion-euro ($98 billion) bid proposal for ABN AMRO AAH.AS, seeking to trump an agreed takeover of the Dutch bank by Barclays (BARC.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz). The group, which includes Spain's Santander (SAN.MC: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Belgium's Fortis (FOR.BR: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), said on Wednesday they planned to offer 39 euros a share for ABN AMRO, comprising 70 percent in cash and 30 percent in RBS shares.

They said this was 13 percent higher than the value of Barclays' all-share offer at Tuesday's close, and included ABN AMRO's final dividend for 2006 of 60 euros cents a share.

((Reporting by Mark Potter, Editing by Mike Elliott

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($1=.7373 Euro) Keywords: ABN TAKEOVER/RBS

London, 25. Apr (Reuters) - Im Bieterwettstreit um die niederl�ndische ABN AmroAAH.AS sind die Banken um die Royal Bank of Scotland(RBS.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) (RBS) bereit, mehr zu bezahlen als die britische Barclays(BARC.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz). Das Bankenkonsortium um RBS habe angeboten, 72 Milliarden Euro auf den Tisch zu legen, teilte RBS am Mittwoch in London mit. Das entspreche einem Preis von 39 Euro je Aktie. Die Gruppe, zu der neben RBS der belgisch-niederl�ndische Fortis-Konzern(FOR.AS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) sowie die spanische Bank Santander(SAN.MC: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) geh�ren, will 70 Prozent des Kaufpreises bar bezahlen und den Rest in RBS-Aktien.

Die Offerte des Rivalen Barclays bewertet die Papiere von ABN mit 36,25 Euro. Das ist bereits rund ein Drittel mehr als die Aktie vor dem Bekanntwerden der Verhandlungen �ber einen Zusammenschluss kostete.

pan/pez

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