Government to launch €3bn AIB shares sale

The Government is on course to launch a €3bn sale of shares in AIB, marking the start of a reprivatisation process that will still likely take years before taxpayers recover all of the €21bn they injected into the bank during the financial crisis.

The starting pistol for the sale of up to 25% of the bank, which may take place in May or June, could likely be sounded as early as today when AIB releases its earnings for 2016.

AIB is also tipped to announce plans to resume paying dividends to shareholders. Such news would likely encourage investors to buy shares in the bank.