Financial News: Creditors Approve ISTC Deal Ahead Of Takeover

Broker Collins Stewart is on the verge of taking over International SecuritiesTrading Corp. after the failed Irish debt investor's creditors agreed to arescue plan that will leave a group of creditor banks with a EUR400 million ( $263 million) loss.

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Investment banks including Bank of America , Deutsche Bank, Dresdner Kleinwort, Merrill Lynch and UBS are among the creditors that have approved the recoveryplan.

The creditor banks, which number 18 in all, will share a loss of EUR384million on the money they lent to ISTC, according to the Irish Times, which saidthey would be paid EUR0.12 for every EUR1 they lent to the company.

ISTC was forced to seek court protection in November after a demand byDresdner Kleinwort for nonpayment of fees, which had become overdue.

A week earlier, Financial News first reported that the company's leadinglending banks had begun selling the collateral they held against its loans in anattempt to recoup some of their money.

Collins Stewart is set to buy ISTC once the Irish high court approves therestructuring plan. It will pay a notional EUR0.07 before putting EUR5 millioninto the company to recapitalize it, Collins Steward said.

Existing shareholders in ISTC will be offered the chance to invest in the newbusiness and Collins Stewart hopes to attract a range of new investors to thecompany, whose business model it wants to import to London before rolling outacross Europe, according to a spokesman.

Many of ISTC's existing management will remain with the business, includingco-founder and Chief Executive Tiarnan O'Mahoney, while Collins Stewart'schairman, Terry Smith, will become chairman of the company.

Collins Stewart's advisory business, Hawkpoint, advised the Irish authoritieson ISTC's rescue and conducted the competitive bidding process for the sale ofthe business.

Deutsche Bank, Dresdner Kleinwort, ISTC and Morgan Stanley were notimmediately available for comment. Dresdner Kleinwort, Merrill Lynch and UBSdeclined to comment.

Web site: http://www.efinancialnews.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires 03-05-08 0857ET Copyright (c) 2008 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.


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