Big names have bought into National Bank
State will collect over 1.06 billion euros from the concession of the 22% stake in the bank
Greece has secured revenues of 1.066 billion euros from the disposal of 22% of National Bank, a process oversubscribed eight times.
As Minister of National Economy and Finance Kostis Hatzidakis underlined, this is the “most successful transaction in the last three years in the EU in terms of the demand manifested and the minimization of the discount on the offering price,” set at €5.30 per share from a provisional price range of €5-5.44. Demand for the HFSF shares at National exceeded all expectations, reaching 9.5 times for the international book and 2.2 times for the Greek book. The shares immediately attracted very strong interest from leading international institutional investors, with a total of more than €30 trillion of funds under management.
As the HFSF bank bailout fund noted, “several of them have included a Greek bank in their portfolio for the first time, or again after many years.”
The participation of long-term investors covered more than half of the demand and according to data from the share allocation, among the big investment houses taking positions in National Bank are Fidelity, BlackRock, Capital, Allianz and Lazard.
The president of the HFSF, Andreas Verykios, thanked the international and Greek investment public “for the high response to the public offer,” which, as the managing director of the HFSF, Ilias Xirouhakis, stated, is “a resounding vote of confidence from the markets in the prospects of the Greek financial system and the growing dynamics of the Greek economy.”
At the same time, “it is recognition at an international level of the fund’s contribution to the recovery of the banking sector and to the consolidation of a climate of investment confidence in our country.”
That was also acknowledged by Bank of Greece Governor Yannis Stournaras, who contacted the management of HFSF, and those of National and Alpha, whom he congratulated for the successful moves in the privatization of the two banks. In total, from the two privatizations, of National and Alpha, the state will collect €1.36 billion.
