EQT mulls exit of Kabel BW, report says

Swedish private equity group EQT is considering the sale of German cable operator Kabel BW, according to a report by Dow Jones Newswires, which cites several people familiar with the matter. One of the sources said a sale later this year could not be ruled out, but EQT’s exit would more likely take place in 2011, as plans are still at an early stage. EQT has been the sole shareholder in Heidelberg-based Kabel BW since it bought the cableco from US investment group Blackstone in April 2006 for around EUR1.3 billion (USD1.65 billion). It is not yet known whether EQT will opt for a sale, initial public offering (IPO) or dividend payment. No banks have been hired yet to prepare spin-off proceedings, despite several investment banks having already shown an interest. According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, Kabel BW had a cable subscriber base of around 2.3 million at 30 June 2010, including around 590,000 broadband and telephony customers.