Australia & New Zealand Banking Corp. (ANZ) chief executive Mike Smith said Thursday he is confident of the bank's bid for some of Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC's (RBS) Asian assets but if the bank isn't successful he sees significant alternatives in Asia and Australia.

Speaking to journalists after an Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce lunch in Melbourne, Smith said he had seen reports that HSBC Holdings PLC (HBC) and Standard Chartered PLC (2888.HK) hadn't submitted bids for RBS' assets but he had no confirmation of that.

ANZ Wednesday raised A$2.5 billion to help fund potential acquisitions.

"I'm very confident there will be a few opportunities and we need to be prepared," Smith said.

"There are quite significant (acquisition opportunites) coming up in Asia but I also think there are opportunities in Australia."

Smith declined to say which assets ANZ is interested in or has bid for, but he said if successful the bank expects a deal would be earnings per share accretive in around three years.

Smith declined to rule out another tilt at the banking arm of Australian financial services company Suncorp-Metway Ltd. (SUN.AU).

"I've said we're always interested in opportunities but that depends how they feel," he said.

He also said he expects ANZ will receive a banking license to operate in India soon.

-By Lyndal McFarland, Dow Jones Newswires;

61-3-9292-2093; lyndal.mcfarland@dowjones.com
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