Financial stocks are having a good day today, and none more than Prudential, the insurer.
Shares in the group are up 21.5p, or 3.6%, at 614.5p.
The reason lies in comments made by Bank of China, which today said it was looking to buy into a life insurer this year, having already held talks with some domestic firms on taking a stake.
Analysts immediately speculated which insurer Bank of China might like to invest in, and Prudential has emerged as a strong contender.
The company has a strong and growing Asian division, with operations in 11 countries on the continent, including China.
In fact, Prudential has already been at the receiving end of speculation that a Chinese company might like to buy it. At the beginning of the year, rumours went round that Ping An, a large Chinese insurer, was looking to take a stake.
