KKR, Bain, TPG shortlisted for CICC purchase

US private equity firms Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), Bain Capital and TPG Capital have all been shortlisted for the final round of bidding on Morgan Stanley’s $1 billion holdings of China International Capital Corporation (CICC), Reuters reported. Morgan Stanley has been trying to sell off its stake in China’s most profitable investment bank since 2007. Morgan Stanley made its initial investment in 1995 when CICC was founded, acquiring shares for a mere US$37 million; its proposed selling prices represents a 27-times multiple over its buy-in. Sources declined to be identified, and the private equity firms declined to comment on the transaction.