French insurance firm AXA plans to sell its stake in domestic insurer Taikang Life for around US$1 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the situation. AXA is said to be considering the sale due to regulatory concern that it has investments in both Taikang Life and AXA-Minmetals Assurance, a joint-venture insurance firm with China Minmetals in which it owns a 51% stake. AXA inherited a 15.6% stake in Taikang from Winterthur, a Swiss insurance company it bought in 2006. AXA’s sale, reportedly in its early stages, is being led by Morgan Stanley; both private equity firms and corporate buyers have been invited to bid for the stake.