iShares sale a mixed blessing

Barclays' iShares sale is a positive development overall, but we still have mixed feelings about it

Erin Davis | 14-04-09 | E-mail Article

Barclays last week announced that it had reached an agreement with CVC Capital Partners to sell its iShares business to a newly-formed limited partnership, Blue Sparkle, for $4.4 billion (£2.9 billion). The announcement was not unexpected, as Barclays had previously confirmed that it was seeking to sell the unit. We view this announcement as good news, as $4.4 billion represents a reasonable, although not generous, price and the sale will give a welcome boost to Barclays' capital ratios. We are leaving Barclays unrated for now.

While overall we see this as a positive development for Barclays, we have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, the transaction will boost Barclays' pro forma Tier 1 and equity Tier 1 capital ratios by about half a percentage point to 10.3% and 7.2%, respectively. While we're far from certain that Barclays is out of the woods--fears of unexpectedly large future write-downs still dog the bank--this transaction certainly increases its chances emerging from the crisis without seeking government assistance. On the other hand, iShares was one of Barclays' better, more stable businesses. We think its stable income stream would have served the bank well, especially given its increasing focus on the cyclical investment banking business and its acquisition of much of Lehman Brothers' operations.

We note that the terms are not final. Barclays has 45 days from tomorrow, April 15, to shop around for a better price. Under the current terms, Barclays is also entitled to 20%, in cash, of any increase in the equity value of iShares after CVC has received a hefty minimum return. The transaction is also dependent on receiving regulatory approvals in several countries plus certain shareholder approvals. If received, the first stage of the closing is expected to occur in the third quarter.

Erin Davis is a senior equity analyst for Morningstar.com.  You can contact the author via this feedback form.
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