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China Minsheng Banking Corp, one of the country's leading joint-stock banks, plans to raise as much as 12 billion yuan (US$1.5 billion) by selling more shares to replenish its capital.

 

The Beijing-based bank may sell around 3 billion yuan-denominated A shares in the second half of the year, He Qun, director of the investor relations office said at the bank's general meeting on Sunday.

 

"We hope to raise enough money for the business expansion in the following two to three years," said a member of the bank's management.

 

Minsheng, which last year postponed a share sale in Hong Kong because of poor market conditions, is trying to sustain its loan-growth rate of 59 percent on average over the past five years.

 

"How to maintain a comparatively high return when the fast growth begins to slow down is the major challenge facing the bank now," She Minhua, an analyst with China CITIC Securities, told China Daily.

 

The bank's capital adequacy ratio, a key measure of a lender's financial strength, was 8.26 percent as of December 31, near the 8 percent regulatory minimum. That's down from 8.59 percent at the end of 2004.

 

To improve the situation, Minsheng has taken a series of financing measures this year.

 

It won approval to sell 30 billion yuan (US$3.75 billion) worth of three-year, five-year and 10-year regular bonds this year. The lender in April said it would sell 4.3 billion yuan (US$528 million) of hybrid bonds.

 

"Given these financing moves, I don't think the bank will rush to a listing in Hong Kong in the short term," She said.

 

Minsheng received regulatory approval in March 2005 to sell 1.3 billion shares, or one-fifth of its outstanding stock, in a Hong Kong initial public offering that would have raised US$880 million.

 

The lender said in February that the shareholder authorization for the Hong Kong listing had expired.

 

The board meeting on Sunday also revealed the new chairman and president of the bank.

 

Dong Wenbiao, the former president, was elected as new chairman, while Eddie Wang, ex-president of HSBC's China business, took over as new president for Minsheng.

 

"Wang's experience in HSBC could help to strengthen Minsheng's retailing business," She said.

 

Minsheng's shares have risen 41.3 percent this year, compared with a 42 percent gain on the Shanghai Composite Index. Its total market value is 43.6 billion yuan (US$5.5 billion).

 

The stock, which closed at 4.29 yuan (54 US cents) per share on Friday, was suspended from trading yesterday in anticipation of an announcement on its newly elected board and share sale plan to be published today.

 

(China Daily July 18, 2006)