LIC stake in ONGC up

Life Insurance Corporation have invested around Rs. 11,450 crore during the auction of ONGC shares on March 1, 2012. File photo

Life Insurance Corporation's (LIC) holding in Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has risen to 9.48 per cent after the offer for sale of ONGC shares by the Central Government on March 1.

LIC has acquired 37.71 crore shares, or 4.41 per cent of the company, ONGC said in a notice to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

PTI adds:

Taking into account the average price of Rs. 303.67 a share, the country’s largest insurer would have invested around Rs. 11,450 crore during the first ever auction of PSU shares on March 1, 2012.

Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has bought 37.71 crore shares representing 4.41 per cent stake in ONGC through open market purchase, ONGC said in a filing to the BSE.

The government auctioned 5 per cent of its stake, or 44.77 crore shares, of ONGC on March 1, 2012, fetching Rs. 12,767 crore to the exchequer.

While the ONGC auction was subscribed 98.3 per cent, LIC has picked up over 84 per cent of the shares on offer. The remaining was bought by institutional and retail investors.

With the acquisition of 4.41 per cent, LIC’s stake in ONGC has gone up to 9.48 per cent, the filing added. As per the Insurance regulator IRDA guidelines, an insurance firm’s holding should not exceed 10 per cent in any company.

Shares of ONGC is trading at Rs. 282.85, up 0.71 per cent on the BSE in the afternoon trade on Monday.