Briefs: Macquarie on asset hunt, NAB dabbles in Asia and 14 per cent capital ratio set in South Afri

Macquarie Group is one of several bidders for European asset manager Robeco, Reuters reported. Others in the hunt are Orix and two private equity consortiums. Rabobank, the vendor of Robeco, is seeking more than â‚¬2 billion for the business.

Macquarie Group received a licence to operate as a Qualified Foreign Limited Partnership in China, the Financial Review reported. QFLP licences permits non-Chinese private equity firms to convert foreign currency into renminbi for onshore investment in China.

National Australia Bank says David Thorn, the institutional banking executive who manages relationships with consumer sector companies, will relocate to Hong Kong, from Sydney, at the end of the year. NAB said Thorn will be the first industry sector head based in Asia.

South Africa's bank regulator says it will require systemically important banks to hold capital ratios of up to 14 percent by 2019, Reuters reported. At present, banks' capital ratios are around 9.5 per cent. The target will apply to Standard Bank, FirstRand, Absa and the Nedbank Group.

AmBank Group - an associate of ANZ - may buy back a 30 per cent stake in two life insurance businesses, Amlife Insurance Berhad and AmFamily Takaful Berhad, from UK insurer Resolution. Malaysia's The Star online reports that the UK firm is the owner of the Friends Life joint venture partnership with AMMB, which started life in December 2008 with a 30 per cent holding in AmLife, bought for RM170 million. It also bought a 30 per cent stake in AmFamily Takaful, in December 2011.