Aviva’s Delta Lloyd unit eyes IPO this year or next, says its chief
INSURER Aviva’s Dutch unit Delta Lloyd plans to list in the fourth quarter of this year or early next year, the chief executive of Delta Lloyd said yesterday.
“We are working on it. If there is additional information to give, we will let the market know,” Niek Hoek said on the sidelines of a Holland Financial Centre event. He declined to comment on potential investors in the shares.
In August, Aviva said it would float a 25-30 per cent stake in Delta Lloyd “as soon as conditions allow” to bolster its capital and benefit from takeovers Delta Lloyd could do in the Benelux insurance market. Aviva, which holds 92 per cent of Delta Lloyd, would retain a majority stake.
But Hoek said Delta Lloyd’s attention was on the IPO process and not on acquisitions, despite speculation it could become a major consolidator in the Dutch market.
A number of insurance assets are on the market or are expected to be soon in the Netherlands, including life insurer Robein Leven and nationalised insurer ASR. Analysts believe Delta Lloyd would be the most obvious buyer of such properties.
Hoek said deals were not necessary to boost Delta Lloyd’s IPO prospects.