“These investors are both strategic and institutional,” the sources said.
Mediobanca, the largest investment bank in Italy and HSBC, the largest bank in the UK and one of the largest in Europe, are overseeing the sale process.
“The non-binding financial offers appear to be quite high, better than expected,” the quoted source added.
Investors have until the end of June to submit financial offers.
Greece’s Eurobank group had to put Bancpost up for sale as part of the restructuring of Greek financial groups required in exchange for the financial aid from the European Union.
Bancpost is the most important bank up for sale in Romania at the moment. It ranks ninth in the banking system with a 3% market share by 2015 assets – 11.3 billion lei or EUR2.5 billion.
Eurobank has been Bancpost’s owner for almost two decades, following the privatization process and successive share purchases from other owners.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)