DBS Bank To Acquire Societe Generale's Private Banking Business in Asia

By P.R. Venkat 

SINGAPORE--DBS Bank Ltd. Monday said that it has agreed to buy the Asian private banking business of French bank Société Générale SA for $220 million, as the Singaporean bank seeks to build on the lucrative wealth management business in the region.

The acquisitions will allow DBS Bank, which is 29% owned by state investment firm Temasek Holdings Pte. Ltd., to have $12.6 billion of assets under management of Société Générale's private banking assets in Asia.

The transaction is expected to be completed in the last quarter of 2014 subject to regulatory approvals, DBS said in a filing to the Singapore Exchange.

Société Générale has been running private banking operations in Asia since 1997 with key offices in Hong Kong and Singapore. The sale process, which started late last year, comes as Société Générale plans to expand its investment bank operations in Asia by beefing up its debt capital market operations and financing business in Southeast Asia.

An acquisition of the Asian private banking business by DBS, which is Southeast Asia's largest bank by assets, would help the Singaporean bank boost its private wealth management business in Asia, which is increasingly gaining traction for high-net-worth individuals and billionaires. DBS has operations in 17 countries and regions across Asia including Singapore, China, Indonesia and India.

Write to P.R. Venkat at [e-mail]

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