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Investing.com-- Insignia Financial Ltd (ASX:IFL) shares soared on Friday after the Australian wealth manager received sweetened takeover offers from rival bidders Bain Capital and CC Capital in a prolonged bidding war for the company.
Insignia rallied about 12% to A$4.84 in morning trade, outpacing a 1% drop in the ASX 200.
Bain and CC- both of which have made competing offers for Insignia- raised their offers to A$5.0 per share from A$4.60, Insignia said in an announcement on Friday. The company’s board said each proposal was attractive for shareholders, and that the company will enter an exclusivity deal with both Bain and CC to further gauge their proposals.
The new proposals value Insignia at around A$3.34 billion, and mark a further escalation in a prolonged bidding war for the wealth manager. Both proposals are also higher than an earlier offer from later entrant Brookfield, although it appeared unlikely that the Canadian asset manager will also hike its offer for Insignia.
Insignia’s shares are trading up nearly 60% since it was first approached by Bain in mid-December. Bids for the firm come amid increased interest in Australia’s wealth managers, which have exposure to the country’s strong pension system.