Las Vegas Sands Gets Hong Kong Listing OK For $2 Billion Macau IPO-Sources

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) has received Hong Kong regulatory approval for the planned US$2 billion initial public offering of its Macau assets, and is seeking up to US$2 billion in financing ahead of it, people familiar with the situation said Friday.

It received the go-ahead to list in Hong Kong late Thursday, they said.

One person said the terms of the financing are still being worked out, and banks that take part may be able to take up a role in the IPO, the city's third largest so far this year.

So far, Citigroup Inc. (C) and UBS AG (UBS) have been appointed alongside Barclays PLC (BCS) and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) as underwriters of the offering, the people said.

Mid-sized China Minsheng Banking Corp. (600016.SH) also received listing approval for its US$4 billion IPO late Thursday and will start pre-marketing the deal next week, one person familiar with the situation said earlier. The planned IPO will surpass Metallurgical Corp. of China Ltd.'s (1618.HK) US$2.4 billion H-share offering in September as Hong Kong's largest IPO to date.

-By Amy Or, Dow Jones Newswires; 852-2832 2335; [e-mail]