Japan banks arrange $986 million bridging loan for Nikkei FT acquisition - sources

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's top banks are arranging 120 billion yen (648.12 million pounds) in syndicated loans for Nikkei Inc's $1.3 billion acquisition of the Financial Times, sources with direct knowledge of the deal said on Friday.

Nikkei, Japan's biggest business daily, in July agreed to buy the British newspaper for 844 million pounds, the biggest overseas deal in domestically focused Japanese media industry.

At the time of the announcement, Nikkei said it expected the deal to close by the end of this year.

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp (SMBC) will provide a 120 billion yen bridge loan to Nikkei this month, said the sources, who were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly.

SMBC and four other lenders, Mizuho Bank, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Resona Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, are scheduled to provide 120 billion yen in permanent loans in February next year, the sources said.

The five lenders declined to comment. Nikkei was not immediately available for comment.

(Reporting by Taiga Uranaka; Editing by Eric Meijer)