CHINA Merchants Group and its banking arm, China Merchants Bank, are seeking overseas acquisitions.　　
 
China Merchants Securities Co, a unit of the parent group, also plans to sell shares on a domestic stock market, Qin Xiao, chairman of the Shenzhen-based China Merchants Bank, said yesterday, without giving further details.

China Merchants Bank Co said in January that profit last year surged more than 50 percent, based on unaudited figures.

Merchants Bank earlier forecast 40 percent profit growth in 2006 to 5.25 billion yuan. The lender has averaged 49 percent annual profit growth since 2000.