Lloyds' Invista Real Estate In Offer Talks

LONDON (Reuters) - Invista Real Estate , a property fund manager majority controlled by Lloyds Banking Group, said on Monday it is in talks with a third party which may lead to a takeover offer, sending its shares sharply higher.

At 1:42 p.m., shares of Invista were up 43 percent to 72 pence each, giving the company a market capitalisation of about 191 million pounds.

"These discussions are at a highly preliminary stage and there can be no certainty that any offer will be made," said Invista, which is 55 percent-owned by Lloyds' HBOS Plc.

The potential takeover of Invista, whose next biggest shareholder is the Wellcome Trust with 24 percent, follows the RBS's sale of its non-core asset management businesses to Aberdeen , as part of its overhaul following the government rescue.