Finance
Unipol chair hints that ING could be studying Popolare di Sondrio bid
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 28, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 24, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 28, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 24, 2026
Unipol Chairman Carlo Cimbri hints that ING may be considering a bid for Popolare di Sondrio, potentially rivaling BPER Banca's offer.
MILAN (Reuters) - Unipol Chairman Carlo Cimbri said on Friday a foreign bank was studying a potential bid for Popolare di Sondrio to rival the one unveiled by Italy's BPER Banca.
Insurer Unipol is the leading shareholder in both BPER and Pop Sondrio and has thrown its weight behind BPER's bid for Pop Sondrio.
Speaking at the presentation of Unipol's multi-year plan, Cimbri hinted at Dutch bank ING as a possible suitor by saying the bank interested in Pop Sondrio was the colour of a journalist's tie, which was orange.
ING did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Cimbri said Unipol could be open to considering rival bids for Pop Sondrio.
Asked about unconfirmed rumours of foreign interest for the bank, Cimbri said: "It looks like a foreign group has hired lawyers and advisers to study a potential deal for Popolare di Sondrio: it's totally legitimate. We're an investor and if someone else makes a spectacular bid it's not like we've promised eternal love, we don't pick sides."
"We don't have eternal friends or eternal foes, only our interests are eternal: ... we're open to any proposition."
(Reporting by Andrea Mandala; Writing by Valentina Za, editing by Gavin Jones)
The article discusses potential foreign interest, specifically from ING, in bidding for Popolare di Sondrio, an Italian bank.
Unipol is the leading shareholder in both BPER Banca and Popolare di Sondrio.
Carlo Cimbri stated that Unipol is open to considering rival bids for Popolare di Sondrio.
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