P&O To Delay ABS Stock Floatation

Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co. is indefinitely postponing the planned flotation of its Associated Bulk Carriers (ABC) unit because of stock market conditions. Shares in the business would have been listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange in an initial public offering next month, valuing it at around $187.9 million. But the group said in a statement it had decided not to go ahead with the flotation for the time being, because of market conditions in Oslo. he decision reversed P&O's plans to bring the float forward on the back of a recovery of the bulk shipping market, which has been depressed over past two to three years. ABC is one of the world's largest independently owned operators of Capesize bulk carriers and has a fleet of 22 dry cargo vessels ranging in size from 110,000 to 210,000 dwt. Under the float, on which P&O is being advised by Christiania Markets, P&O was due to sell between 17.7 million and 20.3 million shares.