Dutch to Cut ABN Amro Stake to 20% as Bank Deals Heat Up (3)

The Dutch government is embarking on another reduction in its stake in ABN Amro Bank NV, a move that could revive takeover interest in the lender as a series of deals reshapes European finance.

As a result of the disposal, the state’s interest in ABN Amro will fall to about 20% from the current 30.5%, its investment vehicle NLFI said in a statement on Tuesday. The stake being sold is worth about €1.55 billion ($1.8 billion) at current market prices, according to Bloomberg calculations.

“With the current M&A pick-up, there could be interest from other European banks,” ING analyst ...