Prudential is trying to renegotiate the $35.5bn price tag on the Asian businesses of AIG in a last-ditch attempt to win over some of its biggest investors and head off a “no” vote on its planned takeover of AIA.

　　英國保誠集團(Prudential)正試圖重新談判對美國國際集團(AIG)亞洲業務355億美元的收購價，以求做出最后努力，爭取贏得一些最大股東的支持，防止他們在收購友邦保險(AIA)的問題上投反對票。

　　The UK life assurer has sounded out investors opposed to the deal about whether a cut price would win their favour.

　　這家英國保險商已試探了反對交易的投資者的態度，看降低收購價能否贏得他們的支持。

　　It now hopes to reduce the price to as low as $30bn, according to people familiar with the situation.

　　據知情人士透露，保誠目前希望將收購價降至300億美元左右。

　　However, even at this lower level some shareholders remain concerned about the costs of the deal and how long it would take to achieve an acceptable return on their investment.

　　不過，即便降至這一水平，一些股東仍擔心交易成本，以及自己的投資要多久才能獲得可接受的回報率。

　　Many investors accept the strategic rationale for the deal, which would make the Pru by far the biggest foreign insurer in the fast-growing Asian markets and the largest life assurer outside of China. However, a significant number are unhappy with the price.

　　許多投資者認同該交易的戰略邏輯：使保誠成為快速增長的亞洲市場中規模最大的外國保險商，以及中國以外最大的壽險商。但相當多的投資者對收購價格表示不滿。

　　The Pru needs 75 per cent approval from shareholders.

　　保誠須獲得75%股東的同意。

　　People close to the situation said the AIG board and the US government had yet to decide whether to accept a reduced price or scrap the deal and revert to their original plan of listing AIA in Hong Kong.

　　據知情人士透露，AIG董事會及美國政府尚未決定，是接受降價還是放棄交易，重拾讓AIA在港上市的最初計劃。

　　“It is a close call,” a person familiar with the matter said. “There is less than a 50/50 chance that the deal with Pru gets done. It is easy for us to go forward with an initial public offering when market conditions permit.

　　“勝負難料，”一位知情人士表示。“保誠搞定交易的可能性還不足一半。對我們來說，一旦市場條件允許，進行首次公開發行(IPO)很容易。”

　　“While all the major IPOs in Hong Kong are being pulled, and you could argue that with markets down 10 per cent to 15 per cent, we should be flexible, we think the thesis [in favour of an IPO] is still intact.”

　　“盡管香港一些大型IPO被取消了，而且你可能會說，由于市場下跌10%至15%，我們應該靈活一些，但我們認為[支持IPO的]命題仍然成立。”

　　While disgruntled investors have made it clear to the Pru how unhappy they are with the deal, they are wary of losing Tidjane Thiam, chief executive, and destabilising the company, which would be likely if the deal was voted down.

　　盡管滿腹牢騷的投資者清楚地向保誠表明，自己對交易有多么不滿，但他們仍不希望失去首席執行官迪德簡•蒂亞姆(Tidjane Thiam)，破壞公司的穩定——如果交易被投票否決了，這種情況就相當可能發生。

　　Proxy votes for the Pru deal must be submitted early next week but the mechanics of registering votes with custodians means that some of the biggest investors must vote by tomorrow.

　　針對保誠交易的代理投票必須在下周初提交，但托管人登記投票的操作流程意味著，一些最主要的投資者必須最遲在明天投票。

　　More than 15 per cent of large UK shareholders intend to vote against the deal.

　　逾15%的英國大股東都打算投票反對該交易。