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Bank of America doubles down on China

While the growth in China is slowing, the fact remains that things are still fairly robust – especially compared to many other global economies. As a result, investors still want to put money into the country. After all, with China's huge domestic economy, there is likely to be strong long-term growth.

So this week, Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) agreed to exercise its option to double its position in China Construction Bank (CCB), which is the #3 financial institution in China. The stake comes to about 19.1%.

Keep in mind that Bank of America got a sweet discount on the option. Thus, the position is in-the-money – the investment has tripled in value to $14.5 billion -- and it may be tempting for the firm to start dumping shares. In fact, shares of China Construction Bank have taken a hit because of the this possibility.

And, as for Bank of America, it could be a savvy move. Of course, the firm had to slash its dividend and must integrate the huge acquisitions of Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER) and Countrywide. At the same time, Bank of America's stock price continues to deteriorate. So, bagging a couple extra billion is probably a good bet right now.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Streetsmart Guide to Short Selling: Techniques the Pros Use to Profit in Any Market. He is also the founder of BizEquity
, a valuation website.

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DJIA-89.2312,801.23
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Last updated: February 10, 2012: 07:01 PM

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