China's Cinda scraps $944 million investment into Ant's consumer finance unit

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The investment would have increased Cinda’s interest in Chongqing Ant Consumer Finance Co Ltd to 24%, making the asset manager its second-biggest investor. Cinda already owns a 4% stake in the Ant unit through a subsidiary.

“After further prudent commercial consideration and negotiation with (Chongqing Ant Consumer Finance), the company proposed not to participate in the share subscription,” Cinda said in a filing to the stock exchange.

Chongqing Ant Consumer Finance is under regulatory pressure to fold Ant’s two lucrative micro-loan businesses Jiebei and Huabei into it, which would make it subject to rules and capital requirements similar to those for banks.

Cinda, one of the country’s four biggest state asset managers, said the withdrawal would not have any material impact on the company.

($1 = 6.3571 Chinese yuan)