(Bloomberg) -- Edelweiss Financial Services Ltd. has hired Nomura Holdings Inc. to help find a buyer for a minority stake in its mutual fund business, according to people familiar with the matter.
The Mumbai-based financial services group is exploring a sale of a 25% to 35% stake in the unit, the people said, asking not to be identified because the deliberations are private. Edelweiss may seek a valuation of $700 million to $800 million for the entire mutual fund business, the people said.
Edelweiss share jumped as much as 6.7% in Mumbai, the biggest intraday gain since Nov. 14. The shares have climbed roughly 40% this year, valuing the firm at about $1.2 billion.
Potential suitors include other global asset managers, the people said. Considerations are ongoing, details such as the size of the stake sale and valuation could change, and Edelweiss could still decide against pursuing a deal, they said.
“To further strengthen our international business, we are open to exploring opportunities with minority strategic partners, ensuring there is a strong alignment in values and vision,” Radhika Gupta, a managing director and chief executive officer of Edelweiss Mutal Fund, said in response to a query from Bloomberg News.
A representative for Nomura declined to comment.
Indian investors plowed money into the nation’s equity funds for a 43rd straight month in September. The average net assets under management grew to 68 trillion rupees ($807 billion) in September from 47.79 trillion rupees a year earlier. Retail investors, from large cities and the hinterland, have been lured by the strong returns in the stock market and invest through asset management companies such as Edelweiss, which in turn has helped boost valuations for these firms.
India’s BSE Sensex index has reached gained about 11% this year.
Edelweiss offers a wide range of financial services including loans for individuals and companies, asset management and insurance, according to its website.
Some elements of the potential Edelweiss stake sale were reported earlier by local publications including Mint and The Morning Context.
Edelweiss’s mutual funds business had around 1.42 trillion rupees ($16.8 billion) in assets under management as of the end of October. It has grown both organically and via mergers and acquisitions. In 2016, it acquired the onshore mutual fund schemes of JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s asset management arm in India.
--With assistance from Will Davies and Ashutosh Joshi.
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