Articles by Sumeet Chatterjee and Anshuman Daga

Allianz, MS&AD, Other Suitors in Race to Buy Aviva’s Asia Units for Up to $2.5B: Sources

German insurer Allianz, Nippon Life and MS&AD Insurance are vying with rivals to buy the Singapore and Vietnam businesses of Britain’s Aviva in a deal likely to be worth up to $2.5 billion, sources said. Canada’s Sun Life Financial and …

Swiss Re-Backed Insurer FWD Eyes China Expansion Ahead of Potential IPO

Fast-growing insurer FWD is seeking to launch operations in China ahead of any public offering and plans to bolster its non-life business in Asia, its chief executive said, as a potential shake-up looms in the region’s insurance sector. FWD, controlled …

Alibaba Plans $20B Listing in Hong Kong to Boost Technology Investments: Sources

Alibaba is considering raising as much as $20 billion through a listing in Hong Kong, people familiar with the matter told Reuters, lining up a second blockbuster deal following its 2014 record $25 billion float in New York. The deal, …

Foreign Insurers Eye China’s $1.6 Trillion Private Pension Business

Foreign insurers including Generali and Prudential Plc are in early talks with authorities to enter China’s private pensions sector, people with knowledge of the matter said, as Beijing opens up to overseas companies. Hong Kong-based AIA Group and Manulife Financial …

Hong Kong Grants Online Banking Licenses to Insurer ZhongAn, 2 Bank Joint Ventures

Hong Kong has issued online-only banking licenses to three groups, including joint ventures (JVs) of Standard Chartered and BOC Hong Kong, in what could be the biggest shake-up in years in the city’s retail banking sector dominated by old-guard lenders. …

Japan Insurers Eye China Acquisitions in Continuation of Overseas Deal Spree

Japanese insurance companies have spent more than $50 billion on acquisitions over the past five years to become the world’s second-largest buyer of insurance assets, and the deals spree won’t be slowing down any time soon. The cashed-up insurers are …

Hong Kong M&As Slump in 2018 with Insurance Sector Deals Hardest Hit

Mergers and acquisitions targeting Hong Kong financial firms have slumped this year, with insurance sector deals particularly hard hit, as China’s moves to tighten capital controls and crack down on corporate debt have driven mainland buyers away. Hong Kong’s financial …

China Eyes Allowing Foreign Insurers to Own Local Joint Ventures: Sources

China will accept applications early next year from foreign insurers seeking to take control of their local joint ventures and is even weighing giving them full ownership earlier than flagged, people with direct knowledge of the matter said. The regulator …

Hong Kong’s FWD to Buy HSBC’s Stake in Malaysia Insurance Joint Venture: Sources

Hong Kong-based insurer FWD Group has agreed to buy HSBC Holdings Plc’s stake in a Malaysian insurance joint venture as part of a plan to expand its presence in Asia, three people familiar with the matter said. FWD, owned by …

China’s Anbang to Sell Overseas Properties Worth $10B in Ongoing Rescue: Sources

China’s Anbang Insurance Group Co. Ltd. is looking to offload overseas properties worth about $10 billion to shore up its balance sheet as part of a government-backed rescue, three people with knowledge of the matter said. The sales are likely …