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UPDATE 2-Bogdanka shines in Poland's largest IPO in 2009

Published 06/25/2009, 07:58 AM
BP
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* Largest privatisation IPO since November

* Poland plans to sell strategic stake in 2010

* Shares jump 21 percent

* Treasury hopeful for coming PGE, PKO BP share issues

By Patryk Wasilewski

WARSAW, June 25 (Reuters) - Shares in coal miner Bogdanka surged by a fifth on its first day of trade on the Warsaw bourse on Thursday, sparking hopes that Poland's largest listing so far this year bodes well for other planned sell-offs.

By 1113 GMT, Bogdanka' shares jumped 21 percent to 58 zlotys in heavy trade to value the group at some $600 million.

"This is a very positive signal for upcoming issues," Deputy Treasury Minister Joanna Schmidt said at a ceremony at the Warsaw bourse. "It show both individual and financial investors are interested in the primary market if the offer is good."

Poland's centre-right government is determined to push on with share issues at state companies, but has had a rough time amid meagre investor interest due to falling markets, which have recovered some ground in recent months.

Poland plans a much larger flotation of its largest utility, PGE, as well a rights issue at top bank PKO BO, which would be the largest since the lender's IPO in 2004. The two are together estimated to pull as much as 10 billion zlotys ($3.1 billion) from the market.

State-controlled Bogdanka raised 528 million zlotys ($163.8 million) in the heavily oversubscribed initial public offer (IPO) after setting the price at 48 zlotys per share.

Despite the lull, the Warsaw bourse was Europe's most active in terms of number of new listings in the first three months of the year, although all were relatively small.

The Bogdanka listing is also the largest privatisation since the lacklustre, 2 billion zloty flotation of Poland's second- largest utility Enea in November.

Treasury Minister Aleksander Grad said in a television interview he planned to sell a controlling stake to a strategic investor next year. After the share issue, Poland holds a 65.5 percent stake.

UTILITIES SELL OFF

With the Bogdanka issue government plans to step up its privatisation activity, as so far it has cashed in only 2 billion zlotys out of 12 billion planned, focusing on the utilities sector.

The ministry plans to sell its entire 76 percent stake at Enea, which the market values at 5.8 billion zlotys, in September or October, said Deputy Treasury Minister Jan Bury.

"We are going to talk directly to strategic investors. Price is our main selection criteria," Bury told reporters.

Bury reiterated that a November initial listing of the country's largest energy producer PGE is still on the cards. The company plans to issue new shares worth 25 percent of its capital for some 4-5 billion zlotys.

The sell-off will continue next year, when southern Poland based utility Tauron will be up for grabs either for a strategic investor or financial investors through the Warsaw bourse. ($1=3.224 Zloty) (Editing by Jon Loades-Carter)

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