CDH reportedly leading buyout of shoe retailer Belle

HONG KONG - CDH Investments Fund Management Co is working with the management of shoe retailer Belle International Holdings Ltd on a buyout that could be the largest-ever such deal for a Hong Kong-listed consumer company, sources said on Wednesday.

They said an announcement could come as early as this week. Shares of Belle, mainland's biggest women's footwear retailer, were halted on Tuesday pending an announcement related to HK's takeovers and mergers code, the company said.

Belle, which sells shoes under brands such as Teenmix, Millie's and Mirabell, had a market value of $5.7 billion before the stock suspension. A deal of that size would be the biggest-ever buyout of a consumer company listed in the city, according to data compiled by news agency Bloomberg.