MILAN -(Dow Jones)- Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA (BMPS.MI) is looking to sell assets of Banca Antonveneta, which it bought in 2007, as the Italian bank sells assets to make up for a capital shortfall, according to an Italian daily Thursday.
Monte dei Paschi plans to hire consultants KPMG to manage the sale of Antonveneta, Il Messaggero says without identifying its sources, adding that talks with interested parties have begun.
The bank's chief executive told a Wednesday conference call on quarterly results that he expected to disclose more details about the sale of assets in coming weeks.
Monte dei Paschi bought Antonveneta from Spain's Banco Santander SA (STD) in an expensive deal that greatly weakened the Italian bank.
Public prosecutors have since opened an investigation into possible market manipulation linked to the acquisition.
Newspaper website: www.ilmessaggero.it
-Milan Bureau, Dow Jones Newswires; +39 02 5821 9901
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 17, 2012 04:41 ET (08:41 GMT)
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