Foreign private equity funds interested in Bezeq control -report

B Communications

24/07/2018 14:03

JERUSALEM, July 24 (Reuters) - A number of foreign private
equity funds such as Highland Capital and Searchlight Capital
are interested in buying a controlling share in Bezeq Israel
Telecom  BEZQ.TA , the Globes financial news website said on
Wednesday.
    Globes said that despite pressure by bondholders of Internet
Gold-Golden Lines  IGLD.O  to sell the controlling stake in 
Bezeq to private local buyer the Neuman family, Internet Gold's
board is going ahead with a regular sale process.
    To that end, it said, the company has appointed Deutsche
Bank  DBKGn.DE  to lead the sale of the controlling interest in
Israel's largest telecoms group.
    Deutsche Bank declined to comment while Bezeq officials were
not immediately available for comment.
    Internet Gold said last month it was in advanced talks to
divest most of its shares in B Communications  BCOM.TA , through
which it controls Bezeq, to the Neuman Group for as much as 746
million shekels ($204 million). urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N1TJ02V
    It has said it was examining offers to sell some or all of
its 64.78 percent stake in BCom, a company with a single asset -
a 26.34 percent controlling stake in Bezeq.
    Internet Gold is controlled by indebted Israeli holding
company Eurocom. Any deal would require regulatory approval.
    ($1 = 3.6490 shekels)

 (Reporting by Steven Scheer
Additional reporting by Arno Schuetze in Frankfurt;Editing by
Kirsten Donovan)
 ((steven.scheer@thomsonreuters.com; +972 2 632 2210; Reuters
Messaging: steven.scheer.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net;
Twitter: @StevenMScheer))