The UFJ group is in the final stages of talks with several foreign financial institutions, including Citigroup Inc. of the United States, to sell struggling consumer finance affiliate Aplus Co., sources close to the talks said Saturday.
The major banking group, led by UFJ Holdings Inc., is expected to decide on a buyer for the Osaka-based finance company by the end of July, the sources said.
Other foreign entities interested in buying Aplus are the HSBC group of Britain and GE Capital Corp. of the United States, the sources said.