A shareholder in AIA Group Ltd. has divested a HK$26.8 billion (US$3.4 billion) stake in the insurer through block trades, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The deal, carried out through a single transaction, is one of the largest equity stake sales in Hong Kong this year.
The offloaded shares totaled 394.4 million, representing 3.7% of AIA’s share capital. Each share was priced at HK$68, which is 6% below the company’s closing price on Thursday.
Following the sale, AIA’s stock declined by 4.4% during Friday trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange.
People with direct knowledge of the transaction, who asked not to be named because the information is private, said the seller acted alone. No public identification of the seller has been made. AIA did not respond to requests for comment submitted after market hours, though it announced robust half-year results prior to the sell‐off.
The transaction, facilitated by Morgan Stanley, is ranked as the fourth-largest share sale in Hong Kong for 2025, based on data compiled by Bloomberg. It comes at a time when market activity in the city has increased, positioning Hong Kong as the world’s second-largest market for equity offerings in the first half of the year.
Details on the shareholder’s motivations were not disclosed. Morgan Stanley declined to comment beyond confirming its role as the arranger of the sale.
With deal volume picking up, what do you think this transaction signals about investor sentiment in Hong Kong’s equity market? Share your thoughts in the comments.
