CK Hutchison Seeks Chinese Strategic Investor Amid Ports Business Sale

CK Hutchison is navigating the complexities of selling its $22.8 billion ports business amid intensified scrutiny from China and industry analysts. The Hong Kong conglomerate, under immense pressure, has been in discussions with a consortium led by BlackRock since March, looking to offload its ports spread across 23 countries.

Recent reports indicate that CK Hutchison may bring in a Chinese strategic investor, potentially COSCO, to appease concerns from Beijing. The addition of such an investor could resolve national security issues and smooth the regulatory approval process, which has been a sticking point in the transaction.

As the company prepares to announce its interim results, financial analysts are eager to understand how these strategic maneuvers will impact the conglomerate's bottom line. UBS predicts a modest profit increase despite looming one-off losses, suggesting a resilient outlook for CK Hutchison amid its transformative period.

(With inputs from agencies.)