French lender Natixis plans to sell several specialized finance businesses to its parent peer BPCE, and use part of the 2.7 billion euros ($3.1 billion) in proceeds for acquisitions.
The planned transaction would give Natixis further financial firepower to invest in its differentiating asset-light business lines, primarily asset management.
The sale of assets will allow BPCE to widen the range of services it offers to its retail customers, while Natixis will beef up its profile as an investment bank.
The company intends to pay shareholders a special dividend of $2 billion after the deal is closed during the first quarter next year if it doesn’t find acquisition opportunities.