NewsBite

Bridget Carter

Genworth Financial sells 52 per cent stake in Genworth Mortgage Insurance Australia

Bridget Carter
Genworth Australia is currently worth $1.1bn
Genworth Australia is currently worth $1.1bn

Genworth Financial is selling its 52 per cent interest in local mortgage insurer Genworth Mortgage Insurance Australia as part of a block trade executed by Goldman Sachs on Sunday.

Shares were being sold at $2.28 in the company after they last closed at $2.58, with the trade thought to be worth about $488.6m.

It equates to a 11.6 per cent discount to the last closing price.

On Sunday, at the launch of the trade, it is understood the demand for the shares from wall-crossed shareholders exceeded the offer.

The book closed on Sunday night.

Genworth Financial listed Genworth Mortgage Insurance Australia in 2014 with shares sold at $2.65 each, and is the largest mortgage insurer in the market along with QBE.

Genworth Australia is currently worth $1.1bn and although its share price has fallen recently, it has recovered from a fall around September when shares were as low as $1.33 as it suffered from the impacts of COVID-19.

The company this month posted a $107.6m full-year loss.

Genworth Mortgage Insurance Australia said the loss reflected an increase in reserving to reflect an anticipated rise in claims linked to the global pandemic.

Bridget Carter
Bridget CarterDataRoom Editor

Bridget Carter has worked as a writer and editor for The Australian’s DataRoom column since it was launched in 2013, focusing on capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and investment banking. She has been a journalist for more than 18 years, covering a broad range of events and topics, including high profile court cases and crimes, natural disasters, social issues and company news.

Add your comment to this story

To join the conversation, please Don't have an account? Register

Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/dataroom/genworth-financial-sells-52-per-cent-stake-in-genworth-mortgage-insurance-australia/news-story/a394ab4e3b29a2840bec7eb7ca2c580f