Goldman Sachs is selling its remaining stake in Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, exiting an investment that has made more than $7.3bn for the US investment bank, its private equity funds and some senior partners.
Goldman was offering its less than half a per cent of the Chinese bank – the world’s biggest by market value – at HK$5.47 – HK$5.50 per share yesterday evening in Hong Kong, according to people familiar with the sale. That is a slight discount to the closing share price of HK$5.64.
The move, raising about $1.1bn, completes the sale of an investment made in 2006 when Goldman bought into ICBC for $2.58bn several months ahead of its Hong Kong initial public offering. It will have sold down its holding in six separate transactions, realising a total of $9.9bn.