WHAT ARE PRUDENTIAL’S CHANCES OF PULLING OFF THE AIA MERGER?
NIC CLARKE | CHARLES STANLEY
“We understand that given the adjustments that were required to the funding structure of the deal, to appease the FSA, the deal will not now be earnings enhancing by 2013. This once again puts the cost of the acquisition firmly in the spotlight. Management will need to work hard to make sure the vote is passed.”
DAVID BUIK | BGC PARTNERS
“All I can say is Tidjane Thiam must have tapped his major institutional shareholders about the need for this money and he must have satisfied them. This would be an amazing achievement in the light of the current market, as sentiment is fairly negative. Prudential’s first quarter sales were good, too.”
BARRIE CORNES | PANMURE GORDON
“We believe that there is and always has been a strong strategic logic to the deal, with the price and execution being our only concern. It is very early to form a cast-iron view but we believe that either the proposed deal will fail to achieve the hurdle rate and the shares will bounce, or it will go through and the shares will rally anyway.”