Shares of country’s biggest private lender ICICI Bank on Thursday scaled an all-time high on its plans to unlock value in its various subsidiaries.

After nearly seven per cent intra-day surge, the shares closed with a 3.5 per cent gain at Rs 1,356.70 at the BSE. It scaled an all-time high of Rs 1,399.90 in early morning trade. ICICI Bank was the only gainer among the 30 Sensex bluechips.

The surge came after the country’s most-valued bank said it was mulling options to unlock value in at least four of its subsidiaries in the near future by way of listing, private placement or through other means.

The bank’s Managing Director and CEO K V Kamath told PTI in an interview that the group was “undervalued” at the current levels, if one looks “at full or true value of the group.”

“If you look at the embedded value, clearly there is a scope for valuation to look different from what it is currently.”

While noting that the bank was yet to take the board’s approval on unlocking value in its subsidiaries, Kamath said: “It would be appropriate to start considering opportunities to unlock.”

Kamath said that the process could start within six months and the potential subsidiaries to be taken to the market in the near future include its brokerage arm ICICI Securities, its home finance subsidiary and two insurance arms — life insurance arm ICICI Prudential and general insurance unit ICICI Lombard.

However, the option for insurance business was subject to the proposed holding company structure not happening, he said.

The bank’s shares have gained close to 75 per cent from a 52-week low of Rs 791.15 on April 3.

Source – Hindu

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