Gulf States’ SWFs To Fund IHH

Malaysia state-backed Integrated Healthcare Holdings (IHH), which operates hospitals in Asia, is in talks with sovereign wealth funds in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait to rope them in as cornerstone investors for its $2 billion dual listing in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, sources said on Wednesday.

The investors will be part of over 10 cornerstones IHH plans to finalise by next week who will take up more than 40 per cent of the $2 billion offering, sources with direct knowledge of the deal told Reuters.

Malaysia is aiming to list state-backed companies in order to attract international investors to its capital market. IHH, which is backed by state investor Khazanah, has acquired hospital groups in Singapore and Turkey and is trying to unlock value by listing them.

Eastspring Investments, the asset management arm which is owned by Prudential PLC, and Malaysian pension funds have already committed to invest in the offering, they said.

“It’s a good balance between local and international parties,” one of the sources told Reuters.

The sources declined to be identified because the talks are not public.

The lead managers on the deal are Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank and CIMB. IHH and the banks involved in the deal declined to comment. ADIA could not be immediately reached.