Wing Hang:China Life,Fung Family Won't Proceed With Share Buy
February 25 2009 - 3:06AM
Dow Jones News
Wing Hang Bank Ltd. (0302.HK) said in a statement Wednesday
afternoon that China Life Insurance Co. (LFC) and the Fung family
aren't proceeding with an acquisition of Wing Hang Bank shares from
Bank of New York.
The statement comes after Hong Kong's Securities and Futures
Commission said China Life had proposed buying 10% of Wing Hang
Bank from a Bank of New York unit last year.
The Bank of New York unit, BNY International Financing Corp.,
holds 20.28% of Wing Hang Bank. At the same time, the Fung family,
the largest shareholder in Wing Hang, had proposed buying 5% from
the BNY unit, raising the family's holding in Wing Hang Bank to
28.58%, the SFC said.
The SFC ruled that since the Fung family and Bank of New York
had a relationship going back 30 years, they and China Life would
be acting together on the transaction. Since the combined stake
would exceed 30%, the Fung family would have to make a general
offer for the company, it said.
-By Jackie Cheung, Dow Jones Newswires; 852-2802-7002;
jackie.cheung@dowjones.com