SINGAPORE (Reuters) – First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the United Arab Emirates’ biggest lender, said on Friday it was not currently evaluating an offer for Britain’s Standard Chartered.
News of the potential offer first came on Jan. 5, when FAB said it had considered a bid for London-listed Standard Chartered but was no longer doing so.
StanChart’s shares rose by 11% on Thursday after Bloomberg News reported that the Abu Dhabi lender is considering reviving the bid once a lock-up period that prevents it immediately doing so expires, offering $30 billion to $35 billon.
StanChart had a market value of nearly $27 billion, based on Thursday’s closing price.
“First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC notes the recent press speculation in relation to Standard Chartered and re-iterates that it is not evaluating a possible offer for Standard Chartered,” the lender said in Friday’s statement.
It, however, added that it and related parties reserve “the right to announce an offer or possible offer for the company or make or participate in an offer or possible offer for the company,” within six months of the date of this announcement.
(Reporting by Anshuman Daga; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Muralikumar Anantharaman)