Citi Is Near Deal To Boost US's Stake
据知情人士透露，美国政府即将与花旗集团(Citigroup)达成协议，将联邦政府在该公司的持股比例上调到至多40%。双方可能最早于周四宣布达成协议。但政府增加持股比例将给花旗高管们带来一系列新的影响。例如，墨西哥法律规定任何外国政府持股超过10%的机构都不能在该国经营银行。因此，一些花旗高管担心，美国政府增加持股可能会导致该行面临压力，被迫部分或全部放弃花旗对墨西哥资产第二大银行Grupo Financiero Banamex的所有权。据知情人士透露，Banamex被视为花旗业务中的王冠明珠，花旗不愿放弃这部分资产，但高管们认为这个问题可能不得不通过美国和墨西哥政府之间的外交渠道来解决。花旗高管们正意识到，美国政府增持股份可能会给该行在全球的业务带来麻烦。花旗集团在100多个国家拥有业务，高管们本周一直在慌忙确定可能发生的问题。据了解花旗的人士透露，在波兰等国家，美国政府增持股份可能会导致花旗在当地的子公司重新向政府申请经营许可。花旗在波兰的子公司Citi Handlowy是该国最大的银行之一。这些人士说，最好的情况是遭遇官僚作风的麻烦。但他们透露，花旗担心一些国家政府可能会否决花旗的申请，迫使花旗出售当地子公司，在这些国家停止运营。另一个担忧是外国政府可能会拖延给花旗在当地的子公司颁发新许可，以便向美国政府索要让步。政府增持花旗股份可能还会在美国带来影响。举例来说，花旗管理人士预见到议员们和联邦机构会施加更大的政治压力，要求花旗修改贷款政策，实施其他可能影响利润的业务调整。美国政府自去年秋天以来已向花旗集团投资了450亿美元，花旗也因此已经屈从于政治压力。上个月，花旗不惜和美国其他银行唱反调，支持允许破产法庭的法官修改问题抵押贷款条款的立法──高管们承认此举会给花旗的利润造成沉重打击。随着华盛顿打算增持更多股份，花旗集团可能会被迫采取更多有利于消费者的举措。研究和咨询公司TowerGroup的执行董事科普(Guillermo Kopp)说，议员们有可能纷纷要求花旗向自己选区的项目放贷。曾效力花旗集团的科普说，预计花旗会面临政治压力。政府为花旗做的越多，两院议员就会向政府施加更大压力，要求让花旗满足他们自己的要求。David Enrich / Heidi N. Moore相关阅读金融机构黑洞可能试探美国政府极限 2009-02-25花旗命运如何 全看美国政府 2009-02-25图片报导：政府与花旗集团 2009-02-25花旗，一块难啃的骨头 2009-02-24 本文涉及股票或公司document.write (truthmeter('2009年02月26日11:40', 'C'));花旗集团英文名称：Citigroup Inc.总部地点：美国上市地点：纽约证交所股票代码：Cdocument.write (truthmeter('2009年02月26日11:40', 'BMX.YY'));Banco Nacional de Mexico S.A.总部地点：墨西哥(Mexico)
Citigroup Inc. is closing in on an agreement to boost the federal government's stake in the company to as much as 40%, according to people familiar with the situation. A deal could be announced as soon as Thursday. But a greater U.S. stake will bring a slew of new complications for executives of the New York company. For example, a Mexican law bars any institution that is more than 10%-owned by a foreign government from running a bank in that country. As a result, some Citigroup executives are worried that an increased U.S. stake might subject the bank to pressure to relinquish some or all of its ownership of Grupo Financiero Banamex, the No. 2 bank in Mexico by assets. Though Citigroup is loath to shed Banamex, which is seen as a crown jewel of the bank's operations, executives have concluded that the issue will probably have to be resolved through diplomatic channels between the U.S. and Mexico, people familiar with the matter said. Around the world, Citigroup executives are realizing that the U.S. government's expanded stake could cause headaches. Citigroup operates in more than 100 countries, and executives have been scrambling this week to identify potential problems. In countries such as Poland, where Citi Handlowy is one of the biggest banks, a bigger U.S. stake in Citigroup is likely to require Citigroup units to apply for new charters with local governments, say people close to Citigroup. At best, that will be a bureaucratic hassle, these people say. But Citigroup is worried that some governments may deny Citigroup's applications, which could force the company to sell its local units and stop operating in those countries, the people said. Another concern is that foreign governments will drag their feet on granting new charters to local Citigroup units in an attempt to extract concessions from the U.S. government. A greater government stake likely would bring complications in the U.S., too. For example, Citigroup officials expect to face intensified political pressure from lawmakers and federal agencies to modify lending policies and make other changes that could dent profits. With the government having invested $45 billion in Citigroup since last fall, the company already has caved in to political pressure. Last month, Citigroup bucked the rest of the industry and endorsed legislation to let bankruptcy-court judges modify the terms of troubled mortgages -- a move that executives have acknowledged would take a toll on Citigroup's bottom line. With Washington poised to grab more shares, Citigroup likely will be pushed to adopt more consumer-friendly stances. Individual lawmakers are also likely to start clamoring for things such as loans to finance hometown projects, said Guillermo Kopp, executive director at TowerGroup, a research and advisory firm. 'Expect political pressure on Citi,' said Mr. Kopp, a former Citigroup executive. 'The more the government does for the bank, the more representatives and senators will put pressure on the government to push a business agenda.' David Enrich / Heidi N. Moore
Citigroup Inc. is closing in on an agreement to boost the federal government's stake in the company to as much as 40%, according to people familiar with the situation. A deal could be announced as soon as Thursday. But a greater U.S. stake will bring a slew of new complications for executives of the New York company. For example, a Mexican law bars any institution that is more than 10%-owned by a foreign government from running a bank in that country. As a result, some Citigroup executives are worried that an increased U.S. stake might subject the bank to pressure to relinquish some or all of its ownership of Grupo Financiero Banamex, the No. 2 bank in Mexico by assets. Though Citigroup is loath to shed Banamex, which is seen as a crown jewel of the bank's operations, executives have concluded that the issue will probably have to be resolved through diplomatic channels between the U.S. and Mexico, people familiar with the matter said. Around the world, Citigroup executives are realizing that the U.S. government's expanded stake could cause headaches. Citigroup operates in more than 100 countries, and executives have been scrambling this week to identify potential problems. In countries such as Poland, where Citi Handlowy is one of the biggest banks, a bigger U.S. stake in Citigroup is likely to require Citigroup units to apply for new charters with local governments, say people close to Citigroup. At best, that will be a bureaucratic hassle, these people say. But Citigroup is worried that some governments may deny Citigroup's applications, which could force the company to sell its local units and stop operating in those countries, the people said. Another concern is that foreign governments will drag their feet on granting new charters to local Citigroup units in an attempt to extract concessions from the U.S. government. A greater government stake likely would bring complications in the U.S., too. For example, Citigroup officials expect to face intensified political pressure from lawmakers and federal agencies to modify lending policies and make other changes that could dent profits. With the government having invested $45 billion in Citigroup since last fall, the company already has caved in to political pressure. Last month, Citigroup bucked the rest of the industry and endorsed legislation to let bankruptcy-court judges modify the terms of troubled mortgages -- a move that executives have acknowledged would take a toll on Citigroup's bottom line. With Washington poised to grab more shares, Citigroup likely will be pushed to adopt more consumer-friendly stances. Individual lawmakers are also likely to start clamoring for things such as loans to finance hometown projects, said Guillermo Kopp, executive director at TowerGroup, a research and advisory firm. 'Expect political pressure on Citi,' said Mr. Kopp, a former Citigroup executive. 'The more the government does for the bank, the more representatives and senators will put pressure on the government to push a business agenda.' David Enrich / Heidi N. Moore