Astro to launch largest IPO in Asia
Astro to launch largest IPO in Asia
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian satellite television operator Astro
expects to raise more than 1.10 billion ringgit (US$289 million)
in what is billed as one of Asia's largest share offerings this
year, bankers said Friday.
"For Asia, this is expected to be among the top five largest
equity offerings ... this year," Commerce International Merchant
Bankers (CIMB) chief executive Nazir Razak told reporters at an
underwriting ceremony here.
"This IPO is expected to raise more than the cumulative total
of 1.10 billion ringgit raised by the 41 IPOs undertaken in
Malaysia so far this year."
He declined to elaborate ahead of the launch of a prospectus
next month for the IPO of the Astro All Asia Networks, the
operator of satellite pay television owned by tycoon Ananda
Krishnan.
Astro is offering 508.40 million new shares in the IPO,
comprising a retail portion of 83.40 million shares and
institutional offering of 425 million units.
The new shares will comprise 26.60 percent of Astro's enlarged
paid-up share capital. -- AFP
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Corporate-Airbus-production
Airbus to build more aircraft
JP/14/Brief
Airbus to build more aircraft
FRANKFURT, Germany: European aircraft maker Airbus expects to build a
record number of aircraft -- 385 in all -- in 2005, compared with
306 this year and 313 next year, the Financial Times Deutschland
reported on Friday, quoting internal group documents.
Airbus is expecting to build 262 A320 jets and 84 A330 and 340
aircraft in 2005, the newspaper said.
FT Deutschland quoted an Airbus spokeswoman as refusing to
comment on the information. She noted that Airbus only ever
publishes the number of aircraft delivered, not the number of
aircraft built.
Chairman Noel Forgeard recently said Airbus was on course to
meet its target of 300 new aircraft deliveries in 2003 and finish
the year with 250 more orders on its books.
Forgeard said he expected next year to see similar sales
figures as in 2003 and Airbus was countinng on an upturn in 2005.
-- AFP