Resolution eyes 3-5 bln stg issue post IPO-sources

By Daisy Ku

LONDON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - UK buyout firm Resolution Ltd has attracted 500 million pound ($736.8 million) before closing its London initial public offering (IPO) on Thursday, according to people familiar with the matter.

On top of that, investors are prepared to participate in a rights issue of 3 billion pounds to 5 billion pounds in the first half of 2009 if Resolution secures a buyout target, two sources familiar with the situation said on Wednesday.

"The first stage is for Resolution to become a public vehicle. To get the real firepower, a wider group of investors should be involved," one of the sources said.

The bookbuilding puts the size of the IPO at the lower end of an indicated range of 500 million to 1 billion pounds.