Lloyds agrees to sell A$371m loan parcel to Bain's Sankaty, says spokesman

SYDNEY, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Britain's Lloyds Banking Group has agreed to sell a A$371 million ($335.74 million)portfolio of loan assets from its Australian unit BOSInternational Australia to Bain Capital's Sankaty Advisors foran undisclosed price, a Sankaty spokesman said in a statement.

The bank is also considering a potential sale of its fullAustralian business, a person familiar with the process said.That business includes its motor and equipment leasing unitCapital Finance.

A spokeswoman for Lloyds declined to comment on any furthersales in Australia.

The sale of the loan portfolio is part of Lloyds' decisionto exit the Australian market as it cuts its internationalbranches to fewer than 10 countries by 2014 from 14 currently tolower costs and strengthen its balance sheet.

Lloyds is also selling a leasing unit with a book value ofUS$3.6 billion, sources previously said. Goldman Sachs isadvising Lloyds on the sales.

Sankaty opened an office in Melbourne earlier this year, itsfirst in the Asia Pacific region. The Australian office isheaded by Mitchell Stack, formerly head of debt and alternativesat the Future Fund, Australia's sovereign wealth fund.

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