UPDATE: AXA Reviews Options As Regulator Rejects Asia Deal
September 09 2010 - 3:45AM
Dow Jones News
Insurance company AXA SA (CS.FR) said Thursday it is reviewing
its Asian strategy after the Australian competition authority
opposed National Australia Bank Ltd.'s (NAB) A$13.3 billion bid for
its AXA Asia Pacific Holdings (AXA.AU) unit, potentially throwing
its growth plans for the region into disarray.
"AXA remains fully committed to support the Australia and New
Zealand businesses and will continue to review its options in the
context of its growth strategy in Asia," the company said in a
statement.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission earlier
maintained its April 19 rejection of what would be the biggest deal
in Australia's financial services history, arguing it would crimp
competition in the market for supply of retail investment
platforms--internet portals that link retail investors with the
wide range of investment products fund management companies
provide.
Under NAB's proposal, 55% owner AXA SA would retain the
lucrative Asian assets of AXA APH, while NAB would pay minority
shareholders either A$6.43, or 0.1745 NAB shares and A$1.59 for
each AXA APH share and take ownership of the Australian and New
Zealand businesses. NAB won the necessary support of AXA APH's
independent directors in December, trumping a lower cash and shares
bid from AMP Ltd. (AMP.AU), which would also see the target split
along the same geographic lines.
AXA said in its statement: "AXA's decision to enter into this
transaction reflected AXA's desire to increase its presence and
allocate additional capital to the fast growing Asian region."
A Paris-based trader said the rejection was disappointing. He
pointed out that it was the second time the complex deal had
stalled and that AXA and NAB may now struggle to find the sort of
concessions needed to push it through. At 0703 GMT, AXA shares were
down EUR0.29, or 2.3% at EUR12.72, underperforming the Stoxx Europe
600 insurance index, which was down only slightly.
ACCC Deputy Chairman Peter Kell said in a statement that
undertakings proposed by the bank and AXA APH to onsell the
target's fledgling investment platform North to a smaller local
wealth manager, IOOF Holdings Ltd. (IFL.AU), "do not provide
sufficient certainty that the ACCC's competition concerns will be
addressed."
AXA shares closed at EUR13.02 in Paris Wednesday.
-By Digby Larner, Dow Jones Newswires; +33 1 4017 17 48;
digby.larner@dowjones.com.
(William Horobin contributed to this article.)
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