The Business Times
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THINKING ALOUD

Great Eastern offer: It’s time for everyone to move on

Both the bank and the insurer are facing pressing business and operational challenges, so it’s time for them to address business at hand

Summarise
Lee Su Shyan

Lee Su Shyan

Published Thu, Jul 10, 2025 · 06:00 AM — Updated Thu, Jul 10, 2025 · 12:22 PM
    • OCBC is on the way towards restoring Great Eastern’s free float while retaining a higher economic interest – all this without having to fork out additional dollars.
    • OCBC is on the way towards restoring Great Eastern’s free float while retaining a higher economic interest – all this without having to fork out additional dollars. PHOTO TAY CHU YI, BT

    IT WAS undeniably an attractive offer of S$30.15 that OCBC was making for each share in Great Eastern. Even the independent financial adviser called it “fair and reasonable” – compared to the “not fair but reasonable” billing for the S$25.60 offer in May last year. 

    But a delisting vote needed to pass before the offer would be paid out. 

    Close to 30 million Great Eastern shares were not held by OCBC. Three quarters of those shares needed to be cast in favour of delisting. 

    OCBCGreat EasternFinancial institutionsM&AThinking Aloud

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