Investors set to line up for Medibank sale

Market analysts say demand for the Medibank Private sale should be strong, due to current market conditions and the prospects for the business.

Medibank Private signage in Sydney

The federal government insists the privatisation of Medibank will not affect members' premiums. (AAP)

Demand for the federal government's sale of Medibank Private is expected to be strong, particularly as investors are looking for opportunities away from mining and banking.

The process of selling Australia's largest private health insurer has begun, with mum and dad investors now able to pre-register for the largest public listing in years.

The full details of the offer, which is expected to earn the government about $4 billion, will come when a prospectus is made available in the second half of October.

Peter Esho, managing director at wealth manager 100 Doors, said the health sector offered enticing growth prospects, and expects shares to be set at an attractive price.

"I think there is an appetite in the market at the moment for that type of exposure," he said.

The current state of the share market should also benefit the sale of Medibank Private, Mr Esho said.

Commodity price slumps and doubts about China's growth have impacted the miners, while banks are facing possible changes to lending rules in response to the booming housing market.

"A lot of investors are looking to move outside of the banks and outside of the traditional resource stocks," he said.

"I think it will be very well received."

The healthcare sector has been a strong performer in recent times.

Medibank rival NIB has seen its share price rise by more than 30 per cent each year for the past three years, while private hospital operators are also enjoying price growth.

Investors have also traditionally done very well in the long term out of government sell-offs.

Commonwealth Bank was floated at $5.40 per share in 1991, and is today trading at around $75 a share, having paid out a considerable amount in dividends along the way.

Vaccine maker CSL, which was floated at $2.30 per share in 1994, now trades above $73 per share.

An obvious exception is the second offering of shares in Telstra at $7.40 each, which then fell sharply.

Fifteen years on, the shares are now worth a little more than $5.


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