BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Romanian investment fund Fondul Proprietatea said on Wednesday it has sold its 1.78 billion shares in oil and gas group OMV Petrom in an accelerated bookbuilding process for a gross sum of 764.14 million lei ($165.46 million).
The shares account for roughly 2.9% of OMV Petrom, Fondul’s entire remaining stake in the company, which is majority-controlled by Austria’s OMV.
Fondul, which is managed by global investment manager Franklin Templeton, was set up to compensate Romanians whose assets were seized under communism.
It holds a slew of minority stakes in mostly unlisted state-owned companies.
The fund has been narrowing the discount between its share price and its net asset value by buying back its stock, financed by divesting small stakes in listed companies such as OMV Petrom and state gas producer Romgaz.
On Wednesday, it said the proceeds from the sale would go towards share buybacks or potential dividends to its shareholders.
Fondul shares were down 1.2% as of 1007 GMT, while OMV Petrom shares were down 2.5%.
($1 = 4.6183 lei)
(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; editing by Jason Neely)
