Italy's Monte dei Paschi should not to sell its Generali stake, investor Caltagirone says
MILAN, May 14 (Reuters) - Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena's (MPS) second-largest shareholder, Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone, said on Thursday that the Italian lender should not sell its stake in Italy's top insurer Generali (GASI.MI), opens new tab.
Last year, MPS bought merchant bank Mediobanca (MDBI.MI), opens new tab, which holds a 13% stake in Generali, where Caltagirone is also a key shareholder.
In its latest post-results analyst call, MPS CEO Luigi Lovaglio said that the bank was not tied to its stake in Generali, though he added he had not had time to consider scenarios that might justify a sale.
"Generali gives a insurance component to (MPS) that all other banks are looking for. Why give it up?" Caltagirone told daily Corriere della Sera in an interview published on Thursday.