A sovereign wealth fund or ultra-rich investor in the Middle East taking a sizable stake is another possibility, some of the people said. It’s unclear whether there have yet been formal talks about a larger sale of the stake and how feasible it would be, although members of the insurer’s board are currently visiting the Gulf, two of the people said.
Ping An Insurance Group Co. is weighing options that would allow it to reduce its 8% stake in HSBC Holdings Plc, according to people familiar with the matter.
One option an internal team at the Chinese insurance giant is considering is further share sales, similar to the US$50 million ($67.34 million) sale it disclosed last week, as it seeks to reduce its US$13.3 billion position in Europe’s largest lender, the people said, declining to be identified as the deliberations are private.
