NatWest seeks approval to buy more stock to speed privatisation

By Iain Withers

LONDON (Reuters) -NatWest will seek shareholder approval to buy back up to 15% of its stock from the UK government, it said on Monday, as part of efforts to speed up privatisation of the lender bailed out at the height of the 2007-9 financial crisis.

In a circular published ahead of the bank’s annual investor meeting in April, NatWest has asked its investors to back a resolution that would enable it to acquire up to 15% of its total stock from the government in a 12-month period, up from a previous ceiling of 5% a year.

NatWest – formerly known as Royal Bank of Scotland – remains around a third owned by taxpayers. The government is steadily selling down its holding, including through a planned sale of stock to the public as early as June, and has said it wants to exit completely by 2026.

NatWest’s request to its investors depends on regulatory reforms that should take effect later this year that would make it easier for companies to make larger buybacks of stock from a major investor.

Based on NatWest’s current market capitalisation, a 15% chunk of its stock would be worth around 3 billion pounds ($3.8 billion).

The government has cut its ownership from a high of 84% through sales to institutional investors and directly to NatWest.

Britain’s finance minister Jeremy Hunt in November outlined plans to sell stock to retail investors to accelerate the process and try to reinvigorate interest in investing in UK stocks.

Investors at NatWest’s annual meeting are also being asked to approve formally the appointments of chairman Rick Haythornthwaite and chief executive Paul Thwaite. Both were named since the abrupt exit of former CEO Alison Rose last year.

The bank’s shares closed broadly flat on Monday at 240.1 pence, but are up 9% year-to-date, boosted by the bank reporting its highest annual profit since its bailout in February.

However, taxpayers are all but certain to make a hefty loss on their rescue of the bank, as all sales of government-owned stock to date have been below the bailout price of 502 pence.

(Reporting by Iain WithersEditing by Tommy Reggiori Wilkes and Barbara Lewis)