Royal Bank of Scotland on the verge of Direct Line sale

Despite the fact that Royal Bank of Scotland had initially wanted to sell its Direct Line insurance division in 2012 via an IPO it is believed the company is on the verge of announcing a trade sale very soon. There is speculation that figures such as Warren Buffett, the investment guru, have already stepped forward to show their interest in what is a quality operation.

It seems rather strange that Royal Bank of Scotland is effectively being forced to sell the family silver because of the way it was rescued by the UK government. However, these are the rules of the EU and the bank and the UK government have been forced to abide by them. There is no doubt that many interested parties will step forward in the knowledge that the company is a "forced seller" and cannot therefore in theory hold on for the best price.

When you also consider the company is also being forced to sell its Churchill Insurance operation it is highly likely that Royal Bank of Scotland will exit this particular area of business in the future. This is a company which is slowly but surely being stripped of its former jewels as a consequence of the deeply damaging credit crunch.