With an overallotment of an additional 113.6 million shares in the domestic market, the sale could exceed 1 billion shares, which would reduce Japan Post Holdings' stake in the banking arm to 60%. Along with separately announced share buybacks and retirement of treasury shares, Japan Post Bank said it would meet the Tokyo Stock Exchange's requirements on share liquidity and help clear the way to stay listed on the top section of the bourse.
The stake sale was first reported by Reuters last week. Japan Post Bank said it would buy back up to 4.5%, or 150 billion yen worth of its own shares and cancel them.
Under rules introduced last year, companies on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Prime Market need to keep a tradable share ratio of 35% or more. ($1 = 136.2800 yen) (Reporting by Eimi Yamamitsu and Mariko Katsumura Editing by Chang-Ran Kim)