BARCELONA, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Creditors of Spanish property firm Colonial
will refinance 6.5 billion euros ($9.1 billion) of its debt, but its shares
fell, partly because two banks withdrew from a core shareholders pact.
The Barcelona-based property firm said on Monday its syndicated loan with
RBS, Calyon, Eurohypo and Goldman Sachs would be converted into a long-term
credit due in five years and at a similar or lower interest rate.
"The deal brings stability to Colonial. We feel we have a foundation to
begin a new stage," Chairman Juan Jose Brugera told journalists at a news
conference in Barcelona.
In total Colonial has 9 billion euros of debt it used to finance expansion
in the latter years of Spain's decade-long housing boom. The market turned bad
in mid-2007, triggering a fall in the realtor's shares and forcing it to sell.
The deal struck on Sunday includes non-guaranteed operating debt, taking the
total refinanced to around 7 billion euros.
Following the announcement, Banco Popular, which owns 9.15 percent, said it
and fellow shareholder La Caixa, with 5.4 percent, had withdrawn from Colonial's
core shareholders pact but both supported the deal.
The banks were part of a group that in April agreed to swap outstanding
debts for a 23 percent stake in the company.
A Popular source told Reuters it did not plan to sell its stake but added
that since the objectives of the shareholders pact related to debt restructuring
had now been met, they were withdrawing from the original agreement.
Traders said news of the banks' withdrawal and that it was issuing 1.4
billion euros worth of convertible bonds weighed on shares in a global market
already pummelled by the financial crisis. By 1322 GMT, Colonial shares had
fallen 9.68 percent to 0.28 euros, taking their fall this year to over 83
percent.
However, Renta 4 analyst Nuria Alvarez said: "The original shareholders'
pact was always transitional, so I don't think the fact Popular and La Caixa are
pulling out is negative."
She said she expected the two banks to be among shareholders who had agreed
to the bond issue.
The bond, which can be converted into shares in five years, will be offered
to shareholders first and if they are not fully subscribed to, some of the
firm's shareholders and creditors have agreed to buy 1.3 billion euros worth in
exchange for part of their outstanding debt, Colonial said.
ASSET SALES
The value of its assets had fallen to 10.5 billion euros at the end of June
from 11.6 billion on Dec. 31, increasing the firm's loan-to-value to 79.3
percent from 66.8 percent.
Colonial said it intended to sell non-strategic assets including its
residential property arm Riofisa, 33 percent of French realtor Societe Fonciere
Lyonnaise (SFL) into administration.
Renta 4's Alvarez said the planned asset sale "is going to the most
difficult part of this debt restructuring deal".
Bruguera later said the company did not rule out a capital raising in the
long run after the bond issue and assets sales.
(Additional reporting by Judy MacInnes; editing by Will Waterman and Sue
Thomas) ($1=.7136 Euro) Keywords: COLONIAL/
tf.TFN-Europe_newsdesk@thomsonreuters.com
cmr
COPYRIGHT
Copyright Thomson Financial News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.
The copying, republication or redistribution of Thomson Financial News Content,
including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior
written consent of Thomson Financial News.
|