afr article - street talk, page-7

This was on etrade

DJ Asciano Bd To Consider Offers For Coal Business Stake-Report16/12/2008 08:18AM AEST
MELBOURNE (Dow Jones)--The board of Asciano Ltd. (AIO.AU) will meet to give first consideration to any offers received for a minority stake in its coal business, The Australian Financial Review reports Tuesday.

Without citing its sources, the newspaper says Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Fund, the Future Fund, Blackstone Group and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts have been through Asciano's data room, however their real interest has yet to be determined.

Asciano hopes a sale of the business could provide A$1.6 billion to A$2 billion to help pay down debt, the newspaper says.

Indicative offers were due last Friday with final offers due Jan. 19.


Newspaper Web site: http://www.afr.com