Craigs purchase of $4.7 billion approved

A German purchase of just under half of Craigs Investment Partners involved assets worth $4.7 billion, the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) says.

That made it the single largest sale of New Zealand assets to foreigners in the latest round of OIO decisions.

Deutsche NZ sought clearance to buy 49.9% of Craigs, formerly known as ABN Amro Craigs when it was part-owned by the Royal Bank of Scotland.

The deal was cleared because it would strengthen both businesses, the office said.

Deutsche Bank would gain access to the local distribution network in New Zealand of Craigs, which provides investment banking, asset management and private client advisory services.

National Australia Bank, 100% Australian-owned, got approval to buy the assets of AXA Asia Pacific Holdings, owned by AXA SA, for $412 million.

American-owned Contract Aviation Group NZ can buy assets of New Zealand's Airwork Holdings for $130.8 million.

Airwork is a group of companies forming part of the Alliance Airlines group, the office said, and the investment would create a larger, more efficient group of aviation operators.

All detail of another, separate application involving those parties was suppressed.

AMP Investments New Zealand Property Fund was cleared to pay more than $100 million to Australian-controlled APEREFF II.

Land involved in that deal is 60.8ha on State Highway 1 at Waikanae and 9.5ha at Warkworth.

Britain's Prudential Group was cleared for a $119.1 million deal with United States-owned American International Group through AIA Aurora as part of a merger of Asian operations.

Japan's Wither Hills Vineyards Marlborough got approval for a $1.2 million deal to buy 8ha of Blenheim land to extend its grape growing land holdings.

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