Strategy
Another European Firm Considers Selling Its Asian Private Bank - Report

A number of European banks have sold Asian wealth businesses in recent years and another is reportedly considering leaving the region.
ABN AMRO, the
Netherlands-based lender, is considering selling its private
banking arm in Asia, according to Bloomberg,
which cited unnamed sources.
The bank, the 18th-largest private banking player in the Asia
region, would, if sold, follow similar disposals made by
Societe Generale and Barclays. There has been a trend of foreign
private banks being sold to local Asian firms.
Considerations around a possible sale are at an early stage, and
there is no certainty they will result in a deal, the report
said. The bank declined to comment when contacted by this
publication.
ABN AMRO, which is part-owned by the Dutch government, is
carrying out €200 million ($224 million) of cost cuts.
A number of banks operating in Asia are potential suitors. DBS
bought SocGen's private bank more than two years ago; this
year, OCBC bought the Hong Kong and Singapore private banks of
Barclays.
This news organisation has heard that among banks looking to grow
via acquisition is Falcon Private Bank, the
Switzerland-headquartered firm backed by UAE-based International
Petroleum Investment Company. However, Falcon, along with UBS,
DBS and Standard Chartered, has been censured by the Monetary
Authority of Singapore following a recent investigation into
Malaysia-linked transactions, and may require assurance about any
actions from the MAS before making Asia-based acquisitions.