AIG and Prudential are on the verge of sealing a deal for the sale of AIA, the US life company’s Asian business, to the UK’s biggest insurer for up to $35bn, with a deal expected to be announced this week.

美国寿险公司美国国际集团(AIG)即将达成交易，将旗下亚洲业务友邦保险(AIA)以至多350亿美元的价格出售给英国最大保险公司保诚集团(Prudential)。预计双方将于本周宣布此项交易。

The board of AIG held talks this weekend to decide whether to sell its huge Asian business or proceed with a planned listing of the unit after a presentation by Tidjane Thiam, Pru chief executive, on Friday.

在保诚集团首席执行官迪德简•蒂亚姆(Tidjane Thiam)上周五提交了收购方案后，AIG董事会上周末举行了磋商，以决定是否出售其庞大的亚洲业务，还是推进这块业务的上市计划。

According to people familiar with the situation, a deal is at an advanced stage and has been agreed in principle, while others say that the stricken US insurer and its owners could still plump for the $15bn-$20bn initial public offering that AIA has been preparing for almost a year.

据知情人士介绍，谈判已进入深入阶段，并已得到双方原则同意。但也有人表示，身处困境的AIG及其股东，仍可能选择推进友邦保险150亿至200亿美元的首次公开发行(IPO)。近一年来，友邦保险一直为此做着准备。

Prudential declined to comment.

保诚集团拒绝置评。

Buying AIA would represent a stunning coup by Prudential and enable the UK group – which already books a third of its global sales in Asia – to become an insurance powerhouse in the region. A deal would more than double the size of the company and mean that its business would be dominated by Asian sales and profits.

收购友邦保险可谓是保诚集团的一个神来之笔，这家英国集团将因此成为亚洲地区的保险业龙头——保诚集团在亚洲的销售额现已占其全球销售额的三分之一。此项交易将使该集团规模扩大一倍以上，并意味着亚洲的销售额和利润将在其业务中占据首要地位。

However, it could also stretch its finances and face opposition from shareholders.

但此项交易也可能导致其财务状况趋于紧张，并因此受到股东们的反对。

However, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday that there was a strong chance that a sale announcement could be made before the opening today of the London market, where Prudential is listed.

不过，知情人士上周六表示，此项交易很可能会在本周一伦敦股市开盘前宣布。保诚集团是伦敦上市公司。

“There are still a few issues to iron out which could scupper a deal but this [sale] could be announced soon,” said one person familiar with the matter.

“目前仍有几个有碍交易的问题有待解决，但此项[交易]可能很快就会宣布，”一位知情人士表示。

The US Treasury and the New York Federal Reserve, which have an 80 per cent stake in AIG following repeated bail-outs of the insurer, were also being consulted, AIG insiders said.

AIG内部人士表示，他们也征询了美国财政部与纽约联储(New York Fed)的意见。在多次对AIG进行纾困后，美国财政部与纽约联储持有这家保险公司80%的股份。

An outright sale of AIA to Prudential could enable AIG to raise more funds than by listing a stake in the unit.

相对于让友邦保险上市，把友邦保险全盘出售给保诚集团可使AIG筹得更多的资金。

Mr Thiam was in New York last week in an effort to persuade AIG’s management that his company had both the desire and the ability to buy AIA.

蒂亚姆上周就呆在纽约，力图劝说AIG管理层相信：他的公司既有意愿、也有能力收购友邦保险。

If the sale goes ahead, the UK group would have to raise at least part of the funds through a large equity issue.

如果此项交易得以执行，这家英国集团肯定会通过一次大规模发股来筹得至少一部分收购资金。

People familiar with the matter said that Prudential had lined up financing options with JPMorgan Chase, HSBC and Credit Suisse, among others.

知情人士表示，保诚集团已与摩根大通(JPMorgan Chase)、汇丰(HSBC)和瑞士信贷(Credit Suisse)等机构安排了多项融资方案。

AIG is already in advanced talks with its US rival MetLife over the $15bn-$20bn sale of Alico, its international insurance arm.

AIG与美国竞争对手大都会人寿保险(MetLife)就出售旗下跨国保险子公司——美国人寿保险(Alico)的谈判已近尾声。美国人寿保险的售价为150亿至200亿美元。

AIA is the leading pan-Asian foreign insurer, followed by Prudential. It boasts 20m policyholders across 13 countries, employs 250,000 tied agents and makes aggregate operating profits of about $2bn a year.

友邦保险是位居首位的泛亚洲外资保险公司，保诚集团紧随其后。友邦保险的投保人有2000万、遍布13个国家，聘用的固定代理人(tied agent)有25万，年总营业利润约为20亿美元。

英国《金融时报》记者弗朗西斯科•格雷拉(Francesco Guerrera)纽约、森迪普•塔克(Sundeep Tucker)香港、保罗•J•戴维斯(Paul J Davies)伦敦报道

译者/汪洋