Anima Sgr is one of the queens of the morning on the Stock Exchange with a rise of 3,5% which brought the stock above 7,5 euros. The reason is simple and at the basis of the exploit of the share there are the rumors reported by the "Sole 24 Ore" on the possible exit of Monte dei Paschi from the capital of Anima Sgr with the sale of its 10,3% stake which makes it the second shareholder behind Bpm (16,84%).
But things are not that simple even if the deal is entirely probable. If Mps were to sell its share in Anima it would derive a theoretical capital gain of over 100 million which would be very convenient for Siena in the hunt for resources to complement the 3 billion capital increase which will take place in May.
But there is a problem: the lock-up for Anima's main shareholders only expires on 16 April 2016 for a small share of Mps equal to 0,4%, while the definitive release of the shareholding will arrive only on 16 April 2017.
However, there is a way to allow Monte dei Paschi to raise cash immediately, if it wants to: that of asking Bpm in advance, which is Anima's main shareholder, to change the shareholders' agreement to anticipate the lock-up and exit before the expected by Soul.
And it is probable that Alessandro Profumo and Fabrizio Viola will talk about it soon, if they haven't already done so, to the number one of Banca Popolare di Milano, Giuseppe Castagna. Especially if the rumor according to which Poste Italiane wants to join Anima, as Il Sole writes, is confirmed.
For now, Mps, consulted by FIRSTonline, hides behind the classic "no comment" but more will be known next week when the Sienese bank's shareholders' meeting is held. Or maybe already tomorrow in the Bpm assembly.
The hypothesis of prematurely selling the shareholding in Anima is more than plausible because the four-year plan of Monte dei Paschi explicitly speaks of sales, even if at the time the priority objective was focused on the foreign subsidiaries and investee companies which, however, are more difficult to valorise. This is why Piazza Affari is dreaming of the deal that is already inflaming the stock market.
