Hero FinCorp plans entry into non-life insurance business:

Hero FinCorp Ltd, the financial services arm of India’s largest two-wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp Ltd, plans to enter the non-life insurance business and is looking to acquire a controlling stake in an existing general insurance company, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Hero FinCorp was until recently in talks with Future Generali—a joint venture between Kishore Biyani’s Future group and Italy’s Generali group—but the talks were not successful, the people mentioned above said on condition of anonymity as the talks are private.

Emails sent to Hero FinCorp and Future Generali remained unanswered until press time.

“The talks failed because of mismatch in valuation,” the first person cited above said, adding that Hero FinCorp had also begun discussions with potential buyers to sell equity stake to raise capital for the acquisition.

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http://www.livemint.com/Industry/J9PUfFM6AfXRVllupBv7RI/Hero-FinCorp-plans-entry-into-nonlife-insurance-business.html

Catholic Syrian Bank expects to raise funds by December:

For more details, kindly click on the following link:

http://www.business-standard.com/article/markets/catholic-syrian-bank-expects-equity-investors-on-board-by-dec-117102300927_1.html

Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India raises Rs112 crore, awaits Sebi nod:

Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India (MSE) has mobilised Rs112 crore through a rights issue and is awaiting regulator Sebi’s approval for launching new products, a top company official said. The exchange, which was targeting to raise Rs207 crore from the rights issue, will allot the unsubscribed portion through board approval.

Proceeds from the issue would be used towards capitalisation of MSE’s subsidiary Metropolitan Clearing Corporation of India as per regulatory requirements. “MSE launched rights issue of Rs207 crore on 16 September which closed on 30 September . During this time, MSE was successful in raising Rs112 crore,” MSE Managing Director and CEO Udai Kumar told PTI.

“Unsubscribed portion will be placed and allotted through board approval,” he added. Noting that the bourse is adequately funded for business requirements, Kumar said that “if the exchange receives over- subscription in the process of placing the unsubscribed portion, it has the option to retain it”. He added that MSE is awaiting regulator Sebi’s approval for launching new products.

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SSG Capital Management, InCred in race to buy up to 15% stake in CSB :

SSG Capital Management, a Singapore-based pan-Asian private equity investor, is in a race with former Deutsche Bank co-CEO Anshu Jain-backed In-Cred Finance to buy up to 15% stake in Kerala-based Catholic Syrian Bank after the latter’s talks with Canadian billionaire Prem Watsa-controlled Fairfax was called off on valuation differences.

Fresh negotiations would be for a secondary block from some of the shareholders wanting to exit the bank, as against the previously negotiated deal which was for a controlling holding in the company, multiple sources said.

The bank’s shareholders are expecting a valuation of Rs 1,700 to Rs 2,000 crore. An earlier deal with Fairfax fell through mainly because the Canadians only offered Rs 1,300 crore.

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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/banking/finance/ssg-capital-management-incred-in-race-to-buy-up-to-15-stake-in-csb/articleshow/61013069.cms

Catholic Syrian Bank to raise Rs 400 crore capital through QIB:

Kerala-based Catholic Syrian Bank (CSB) Board has approved a proposal to raise capital by way of the qualified institutional buyer (QIB) allocating upto 40 million shares to the investors. The Bank which is seeking around Rs 400 crore to fund its growth till March 2019, said the process will be completed by October.

The development comes two months after Fairfax called off CSB’s investment plan due to a valuation issue. Canadian investor Prem Watsa’s Fairfax Financial Holdings was planning to invest around Rs 1,000 crore in CSB for a 51 per cent stake.

Catholic Syrian Bank plans QIP to raise up to Rs400 crore:

Kerala based-Catholic Syrian Bank (CSB) Ltd is looking to raise as much as Rs400 crore by selling shares to financial institutions, following the collapse of its plan to sell a major stake to Prem Watsa owned Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd over differences in valuation.

The bank plans to raise money through a qualified institutional placement (QIP), where listed companies sell shares, fully and partly convertible debentures, or any security other than convertible warrants, to a qualified institutional buyer.

“The board has given the approval to raise up to Rs400 crore through a QIP before end October. We have appointed JM Financial as the merchant banker,” said C.V.R. Rajendran, managing director and chief executive of Catholic Syrian Bank.

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http://www.livemint.com/Industry/cGBOAg00wqMgwnAshr1sTL/Catholic-Syrian-Bank-plans-QIP-to-raise-up-to-Rs400-crore.html

ICICI Lombard IPO offers slice of nascent market at hefty premium:

India’s general insurance market has just begun to stir, reason enough for investors to give a resounding welcome to ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co.’s initial public offering (IPO).

But that is just the first- mover advantage. ICICI Lombard holds a little over 8% of the grossly under-penetrated non-life insurance market where only 30 companies do business. Public sector firms—there are four of them—own more than half of the non-life insurance market.

The insurer has priced its share offer at Rs651-661 apiece and hopes to rake in close to Rs5,700 crore through the IPO. At this band, the company is valued at around Rs30,000 crore, a jump of 48% in just six months. In May, the general insurer’s Canadian shareholder Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd diluted its stake that had valued ICICI Lombard at a little over Rs20,000 crore.

The general insurer’s management believes that the potential growth in business due to the sheer under-penetration in the market and the fact that ICICI Lombard has an enviable diversified distribution channel are also reasons for the appreciation in valuation.

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http://www.livemint.com/Money/IMvPjs1sk62AKmvGrZbRFO/ICICI-Lombard-IPO-offers-slice-of-nascent-market-at-hefty-pr.html

ICICI Lombard IPO: A safe growth option:

Nearly a year after listing its life insurance business, ICICI Bank will list its general insurance arm, ICICI Lombard General Insurance, the largest non-life private sector player based on gross direct premium income (GDPI).  The initial public offering (IPO) has many advantages for investors. The most eye-catching one being the first-mover advantage among private players. The under-penetrated nature of general insurance in India and the diversified product offering, along with market leadership among private players across categories, supports the investment rationale in …

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http://www.business-standard.com/article/markets/icici-lombard-ipo-a-safe-growth-option-117091000703_1.html

In four months, ICICI Lombard General Insurance valuations jump 50%:

Private general insurance company ICICI Lombard, which was valued at around Rs 20,000 crore in May 2017, has seen a 50 percent jump in its valuations to Rs 30,000 crore. ICICI Lombard is bringing out its initial public offering (IPO) which opens on September 15, 2017 and will close on September 19, 2017.

The price band has been fixed from Rs 651 to Rs 661 per equity share and Rs 5615 crore will be raised from the offer for sale. This has valued the insurer between Rs 29,500 crore and Rs 30,000 crore.

The funds raised from the IPO will go to the bank. The minimum capital requirement or solvency of ICICI Lombard is above the prescribed limit of 1.5 and stands at 2.13.

In May, ICICI Lombard General Insurance had said that its foreign partner, Canada-based Fairfax, offloaded part stake of 12.18 percent to a clutch of investors, including Warburg Pincus for around Rs 2480 crore.

ICICI Lombard General Insurance IPO to open on September 15, ICICI Bank shares gain:

ICICI Bank shares gained more than 1 percent intraday Thursday after CNBC-TV18 report said the IPO of its general insurance company will open for subscription in the coming week.

ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company will launch its initial public offer of up to 8,62,47,187 equity shares on September 15.

The issue consists of offer for sale of up to 3,17,61,478 equity shares by promoter ICICI Bank, up to 5,44,85,709 shares by investor Fal Corporation. The issue also include a reservation of up to 43,12,359 equity shares for purchase by ICICI Bank shareholders.

ICICI Lombard is the largest private-sector non-life insurer in India based on gross direct premium income in fiscal 2017.

Earlier this week, ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company received approval capital market regulator Sebi for the IPO, which would be the first by a general insurer in the country.

For more details, kindly click on the following link:

http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/stocks-business/icici-lombard-general-insurance-ipo-to-open-on-september-15-icici-bank-shares-gain-2381159.html

ICICI Lombard gets SEBI approval for Rs. 6,000 cr IPO:

ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company has got capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)’s go-ahead for its estimated Rs. 6,000 crore initial public offer, which could be the first by a general insurer in the country.

Two state-run general insurers — General Insurance Corp of India and New India Assurance Company — as also two life insurance firms (SBI Life and HDFC Standard Life) have also lined up IPO plans and are awaiting SEBI’s go-ahead for their respective draft papers.

Among these, SEBI is awaiting “clarification” from insurance regulator IRDAI with regard to IPOs by HDFC Standard Life, New India Assurance and General Insurance, as per the latest update available with SEBI on these IPOs. In case of SBI Life, the market regulator received the required details from IRDAI on August 28 and the case is currently “under process” at SEBI’s end.

SEBI issued its “observations” — a technical jargon for the regulator’s go-ahead for public issues — on the public offer by ICICI Lombard General Insurance on September 1. The company had filed its draft prospectus with SEBI on July 14 for the public issue which would comprise Offer For Sale of shares by existing shareholders, accounting for 19 per cent stake.

ICICI Lombard is a joint venture between ICICI Bank and Canada-based Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. The IPO involves dilution of up to 86,247,187 equity shares of face value of Rs. 10 each of ICICI Lombard General Insurance. According to market sources, the IPO could be worth about Rs. 6,000 crore.

SEBI had sought clarification from IRDAI regarding General Insurance Corp (GIC) on August 21 and about New India Assurance Co Ltd on August 16. Some ‘clarification’ was sought from IRDAI regarding HDFC Standard Life on August 23.

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http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/money-and-banking/icici-lombard-gets-sebi-approval-for-rs-6000-cr-ipo/article9846105.ece

Rama Moorthy takes over as MD and CEO of Tamilnad Mercantile Bank:

Former United Bank of India’s (UBI) Executive Director K V Rama Moorthy has taken over as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Ltd.

Prior to this, he was working as Executive Director of United Bank of India since 2015 and earlier he was with Bank of Baroda.

Rama Moorthy has over three decades of experience in various phases of banking across operations, new products and services, retail lending, corporate banking, marketing and business expansion.

The appointment of Moorthy is for a period of three years from the date of assuming the charge according to the approval received from the Reserve Bank of India, in line with the earlier recommendations of the bank’s board.

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http://www.business-standard.com/article/finance/rama-moorthy-takes-over-as-md-ceo-of-tamilnad-mercantile-bank-117090400951_1.html

Catholic Syrian Bank aims to get back to consistent growth, says MD & CEO:

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http://www.business-standard.com/article/finance/catholic-bank-to-focus-on-capital-credit-casa-says-md-117090400417_1.html

Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India eyes block deals in revival bid:

The Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India (MSEI) plans to woo brokerages to execute large stock trades on its venue, as a new management team tries to breathe life into a bourse that has floundered for a decade.

Backed by billionaires Rakesh Jhunjhunwala and Radhakishan Damani, MSEI aims to wade into the block deals segment, which is worth as much as Rs5 trillion ($78 billion), according to chief executive Udai Kumar. India’s regulator defines a block as a single trade having at least 500,000 shares or a minimum value of 50 million rupees. Money managers like dealing in large sizes because it ensures transactions are done before the market can hear about them and react by raising or lowering prices.

“We are telling institutional investors to come to our platform—there will be no slippages or price impact,” said Kumar, who was named chief executive officer last year to turn around the bourse. The MSEI is in talks with half a dozen large investment banks to bring in such deals, he said.

That’s easier said than done. Despite starting in 2008, MSEI has failed to seriously threaten its rivals. It had a 4.3% share of currency derivatives at the end of March, and barely exists in India’s $2 trillion equity market, which is dominated by the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd and BSE Ltd.

The company has struggled to make a mark since a payment default in 2013 at a related exchange forced the original founders to sell. A clutch of financial institutions now own more than 34% of MSEI, as do investors including Jhunjhunwala, Damani and Nemish Shah, according to bourse’s website.

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http://www.livemint.com/Money/YvUnP0KyiiRv4aPOUMCL4L/Metropolitan-Stock-Exchange-of-India-eyes-block-deals-in-rev.html