HSBC reportedly denies reports it is eyeing IPO of UK arm

In recent weeks the UK´s fourth largest lender, HSBC, has been sounding out investors regarding possible demand should it decide to list a minority stake in its UK operations. The issue of listing a stake of up to 30% in its UK retail and commercial banking operation has also been discussed informally at the board level, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Monday morning. Some estimates put the market value of the unit at approximately £20bn. That comes on the heels of reports about a slew of upcoming bank initial public offerings (IPOs) over the coming one or two years and may, in part, be a reaction to tougher capital rules.The New Vickers regulation requires that lenders ringfence their domestic retail banking operations, to which one must add incoming regulations on leverage ratios requiring banks to hold higher levels of capital as a proportion of assets.A later report, attributed to Bloomberg, has seen the bank deny that report in the FT. As of 10:09 shares of HSBC were rising by 0.08% to the 659.8p mark. AB