花旗集团（Citigroup）正致力于在中国获得证券经营许可证，因为这家美国银行希望在亚洲多个主要消费市场退出后，进一步拓展其业务，进入这个世界第二大经济体。
Inc. is counting on securing an onshore securities license in China as the US lender expands operations in the world’s second-largest economy following a string of major consumer exits across Asia.
“我们对此抱有期待，”这家总部位于纽约的银行的国际业务负责人欧内斯托·坎图（Ernesto Cantu）在接受采访时说道，“这个许可证对我们非常重要，因为目前我们无法在中国大陆开展任何与投资银行业务相关的工作。”据坎图透露，花旗集团在该地区有着宏伟的扩张计划，目标是在中国成为全球最大的投资银行之一。
“We’re hoping for it,” Ernesto Cantu, head of international at the New York-based bank, said in an interview, referring to the license. “It’s important for us because right now we cannot do anything related to investment banking in the mainland.”Citigroup harbors big ambitions to expand in the region, targeting the top spot among global investment banks in China, according to Cantu.
然而，进展一直较为缓慢，该公司已经等待监管部门的批准近五年时间。这一延迟主要是由于中国数据安全法规的变更以及美国监管力度的加强所导致的。
Progress has been slow, however, leaving the lender waiting almost five years for regulatory approvals. The delay stems from complications surrounding changing Chinese data-security regulations as well as heightened regulatory scrutiny in the US.
尽管面临这些障碍，中国大陆仍然是花旗集团仅次于英国的第二大国际市场，这得益于该公司在企业客户方面的广泛覆盖。坎图曾于今年3月访问过中国大陆，并计划于11月再次前往。
Despite these hurdles, mainland China remains Citigroup’s second-largest international market after the UK, boosted by the bank’s corporate client reach. Cantu, who visited the mainland in March, plans to return in November.
坎图表示，亚洲仍然是花旗集团的重点关注区域，该公司正在亚洲各地（包括中国和印度）部署资本。“许多中国企业正在走向全球化，我们正在为他们提供支持；印度的经济增长势头也很强劲。”目前，花旗集团正处于首席执行官简·弗雷泽（Jane Fraser）推动的全球重组的最后阶段，旨在优化自身的业务布局。为了更加专注于企业及机构客户业务，这家华尔街巨头已关闭了其在包括中国大陆、印度和印度尼西亚在内的13个市场的零售银行业务。
Asia remains “an important focus” for Citigroup as it deploys capital across the region, including in China and India, Cantu said. “A lot of Chinese companies are going global and we are helping them. India is also growing at a good pace.”The bank is entering the final stretch of a sweeping global restructuring under Chief Executive Officer Jane Fraser aimed at streamlining its footprint. To sharpen focus on its corporate and institutional business, the Wall Street firm shed its retail banking operations across 13 markets, including mainland China, India, and Indonesia.
坎图认为，这一战略调整已经取得了成效。作为一名拥有三十年工作经验的老员工，他表示：“尽管出售了相关消费业务，但在一些市场，公司的总收入仍然实现了显著增长。”
That pivot is yielding results, according to Cantu, a three-decade company veteran who said that exit plans are “mostly done.”“In some markets, overall revenues have grown significantly despite the sale of the consumer businesses,” he said.
2023年3月出售了其消费金融业务后，花旗集团的收入几乎翻了一番，净利润增长了56%；在印度尼西亚，如果不考虑2023年的一次性资产处置收益，净利润在2023年至2025年间也增长了约56%。
dia, after selling the consumer business in March 2023, Citigroup nearly doubled revenue and grew net income by 56%, while in Indonesia, excluding a one-time divestment premium in 2023, net income grew about 56% from 2023 to 2025, according to the bank.
花旗集团报告称，其第三季度业绩达到了十年来的最佳水平，这主要得益于其交易和服务业务的表现。去年年底，该集团的股价首次超过了其账面价值——这一进展为弗雷泽（Fraser）的改革计划提供了有力支持。
Citi posted the best third quarter in a decade, boosted by trading and services business. Late last year, it traded above its book value for the first time since 2018 — a boost to Fraser’s turnaround plan.
目前，花旗集团正在推进墨西哥Banamex金融集团的IPO（首次公开募股）进程，已向包括黑石集团（Blackstone Inc.）在内的投资者出售了额外的24%股份。据坎图（Cantu）透露，花旗集团仍持有Banamex 51%的股份，并计划在明年IPO之前再出售一部分股份。
The lender is now pushing ahead with an IPO for Mexico’s Grupo Financiero Banamex, having offloaded an additional 24% stake to investors, including Blackstone Inc.. Citigroup still has a 51% stake in Banamex and plans to sell a small stake before the IPO next year, according to Cantu.
“投资者对进一步增持Banamex的股份有需求，因此这一进程可以很快完成，”坎图表示，“我们正在与包括之前参与投资的机构在内的各方进行谈判。”据他介绍，花旗集团可能会通过IPO出售部分剩余股份，其余股份则会在后续的再融资活动中出售。他拒绝透露具体计划筹集的资金规模。
“There is investor demand for an incremental stake, which means it can be done quickly,” said Cantu. “We are talking to investors, including those that participated in the previous placement.”The bank would likely sell a portion of its remaining stake through the IPO, with the rest sold in subsequent follow-on offerings, according to Cantu. He declined to say how much the bank is planning to raise.
彭博社此前曾报道称，花旗集团希望通过IPO筹集超过30亿美元。
Bloomberg has previously reported that Citigroup is targeting to raise more than $3 billion for its initial public offering.
“如果市场条件允许，我们希望在今年上半年完成Banamex的IPO，”坎图说。他补充道，以一个已经完成业务整合的实体形式进行IPO“更能提升公司的股价表现”，因为这样Banamex的治理结构将完全由Banamex自己掌控。
“We want to do the Banamex IPO in the first half, if the market is there,” said Cantu. Going to IPO with a de-consolidated entity is a “better equity story” because that means that the governance of Banamex will be entirely in Banamex, he added.
曾任Citibanamex首席执行官的坎图认为，独立的Banamex将能够承担更多风险，符合行业整体发展趋势；同时，出售Banamex对Banamex本身来说是“最佳选择”。
Cantu, who was previously CEO of Citibanamex, said that an independent Banamex will be able to take on more risk, in line with the broader industry, and a sale is the “best decision” for Banamex.
这位银行家还表示，尽管中东地区局势动荡，但花旗集团并无缩减在该地区业务规模的计划。
In the Middle East, the lender has no plans to pare its exposure despite the ongoing turmoil, according to the banker.
本月，沙特阿拉伯遭受了自伊朗战争爆发以来最致命的袭击，胡塞武装分子多次袭击沙特全国各地的机场，导致航空公司停飞航班，沙特旗舰投资活动也被推迟。
Saudi Arabia this month suffered its deadliest strikes since the Iran war began as Houthi militants repeatedly targeted airports across the kingdom, prompting airlines to halt flights and the postponement of the kingdom’s flagship investment event.
花旗集团在其他地方也有业务，包括乌克兰，尽管俄罗斯入侵，该集团仍在乌克兰继续开展业务。
Citigroup has business in other places including Ukraine, where it continues to do business despite the Russian invasion.
“我们仍然相信，中东地区在很多方面会因此变得更强大，”坎图说。“如果说有什么影响的话，那就是他们正在实施的韧性计划将使他们更强大。”
“We continue to believe that the Middle East as a consequence of this in many ways is going to come out stronger,” said Cantu. “If anything, the resiliency plans that they are implementing is going to make them stronger.”