Bailout

Greece concluded on Thursday the re-privatization of its lenders with the sale of a 10% stake in National Bank (NBG) amid strong demand from investors, the bank bailout fund said.

The sale raised 690 million euros ($760.93 million), which will be used to help Greece reduce its pile of public debt, the eurozone's biggest as a percentage of economic output.

Bank bailout fund HFSF has said that it will not accept bids below 7.55 euros per share in an equity offering of National Bank of Greece, citing strong demand by investors.

HFSF is selling a 10% stake in National Bank, the country's second largest bank by market value, through a book-building process and a public offer in Athens which ended at 3 p.m.

Demand for a 10% stake sale in the National Bank of Greece (NBG) by the country's bank bailout fund was oversubscribed by six times on Monday, in the first day of a book-building process which ends later this week, two sources told Reuters.

The country's bank bailout fund HFSF will start the process to sell a stake of up to 12% in National Bank of Greece early next week, two officials with knowledge of the matter have said.

With the planned sale, Greece will conclude the reprivatisation of its banks, which were bailed out during a debt crisis that nearly drove the country out of the eurozone.

Greece plans to conclude the re-privatization of its banks by early October with the sale of its last stake in National Bank, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.

The agreement between bank bailout fund HFSF and Thrivest Holdings for the merger of Attica Bank with Pancreta is the "optimal solution for the Greek state, with a view to both ensuring financial stability and the benefit of the taxpayer," central banker Yannis Stournaras told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday.

SYRIZA-PS president Stefanos Kasselakis continues his recent criticism in light of developments at Attica Bank.

The Greek government and the European institutions responsible for banking supervision and financial stability, such as the Single Supervisory Mechanism and the European Stability Mechanism, co-shape the provisions for the reforms promoted by the Ministry of National Economy and Finance in the Superfund, the Hellenic Financial Stability Fund (HFSF) and the state asset utilization fund (TAIPED).

Cypriot banks are urging a combination of government and regulatory policies to achieve a healthy, effective and optimal green transition.

Banks stress their key role in this transition, emphasizing that while they should make significant financial contributions, the government must also align its policies with the banks to facilitate the green transition.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi begins his third term this week buoyed by massive fresh financing, but experts say the road out of economic crisis will still be long and arduous.

Sisi won December's presidential election with 89.6 percent of the vote, standing against three unknowns.