Citigroup sells stake to Abu Dhabi fund

updated 10:57 a.m. ET Nov. 27, 2007

NEW YORK - The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority will invest $7.5 billion in Citigroup, offering the nation’s largest bank needed capital to offset big losses from mortgages and other investments.

The cash from the sovereign investment fund of the Gulf Arab state, which has benefited from this year’s surge in oil prices, will be convertible into no more than 4.9 percent of Citigroup Inc.’s equity. Citigroup characterized the investment as passive and said the fund will not be able to name any board members to the bank.

The Investment Authority’s purchase, announced late Monday, would make it one of Citi’s largest shareholders.

“We see in Citi a highly respected company with a premier brand and with tremendous opportunities for growth,” said the Investment Authority’s managing director, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Zayed Al Nahayan. “This investment reflects our confidence in Citi’s potential to build shareholder value.”

The investment, which was expected to close within the next several days, will be considered Tier 1 capital for regulatory purposes, helping Citi reach its goal of returning to its target capital ratios in the first half of 2008, the bank said.

Citigroup’s shares have lost about 45 percent of their value since the beginning of this year, wiping away $124 billion in market capitalization, as the drumbeat of bad news about its investment losses has mounted.

Shares jumped more than 2 percent, or $2.10, to $31.86 in premarket trading Tuesday, after touching a five-year low Monday.

Charles Prince stepped down as Citigroup’s chairman and chief executive Nov. 4, the same day Citi announced that it will likely write down the value of its portfolio by $8 billion to $11 billion in the fourth quarter.

In the third quarter, the bank’s exposure to assets tied to subprime mortgages led to a loss of about $6.5 billion.

Citigroup executives said Monday that a deteriorating business climate could mean a new round of job cuts, even after the bank pared its 320,000 workforce by 17,000 positions earlier this year. Pummeled by billions in writedowns, Citigroup is reviewing its cost structure to bring it in line with “economic realities,” the company said.

The Investment Authority will receive equity units that pay an 11 percent annual yield until they are converted into Citigroup common shares at a price of up to $37.24 a share between March 15, 2010, and Sept. 15, 2011.

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