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Swiss Re bids for RBS Insurance division

Swiss Re and private equity firm CVC Capital Partners are making a joint bid for a majority stake in the Royal Bank of Scotland’s (RBS) British insurance assets.

UK media reports say the bid for a 51% stake is valued at more than £3 billion ($7.3 billion).

RBS Insurance is Britain’s second-largest general insurer and has been seeking buyers for months as it looks to shore up its balance sheet. It is currently seeking £20 billion ($49 billion) in new capital.

The bank is set to be partly nationalised as part of the UK Government initiative to stabilise it and fellow UK banks Lloyds TSB and HBOS.