MILAN (Reuters) -Banco BPM, Italy's third-largest, is looking at potential merger and acquisition deals and has several options on the table, its CEO Giuseppe Castagna told Italian daily La Stampa. "
Banco BPM Explores Merger and Acquisition Opportunities, CEO States
Banco BPM's M&A Strategy
MILAN (Reuters) -Banco BPM, Italy's third-largest, is looking at potential merger and acquisition deals and has several options on the table, its CEO Giuseppe Castagna told Italian daily La Stampa.
Potential Partners
"It will be an agreed choice," Castagna said in an interview published on Wednesday.
Market Timing
Referring to potential options, Castagna said that Banca Monte dei Paschi (MPS), Bper Banca and Credit Agricole Italia are similar to Banco BPM.
UniCredit's Withdrawal
UniCredit withdrew its offer for Banco BPM on July 22, reviving speculation about a potential tie-up between BPM and MPS.
"For any extraordinary operations we will wait until the end of the summer, when market perimeters will be defined once Monte dei Paschi's bid for Mediobanca is completed," the CEO added.
MPS's offer for the Italian merchant bank will end on September 8.
(Reporting by Sara Rossi; Editing by Cristina Carlevaro and Jamie Freed)
