Genting Owner Lim
The announcement is the first major move since Resorts World Catskills was acquired in November by Genting and Kien Huat, the family trust controlled by Genting Group chairman Tan Sri KT Lim. “For Genting, the financial stress may push the owner to sell the asset, or liquidate the entire firm,” said Banny Lam, the head of research at CEB International Investment Corp. “Liquidation is not very likely, but there is such a possibility if Lim doesn’t have money and can’t find a buyer for its assets.
(Bloomberg) -- A cruise ship operator controlled by Malaysian tycoon Lim Kok Thay suspended all payments to creditors, triggering a 36% drop in the company’s shares and denting investor confidence in Lim’s wider business empire.
Genting Hong Kong Ltd. said it will use its available funds to maintain critical services for the company’s operations and asked creditors to form a steering committee to evaluate a planned restructuring proposal, according to a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange on Wednesday night. The company owed a total of $3.4 billion as of July 31, it said.
- The majority shareholder of Empire Resorts is K.T. Lim, a billionaire Malaysian gaming magnate. He is chairman of the Genting Group, operator of casinos and resorts around the world - including.
- Lim’s Genting Bhd operates casinos and resorts in Las Vegas and Singapore. It’s had to scale back operations as countries impose lockdowns, while consumers shun cruises after a few ships.
The firm blamed the cash crunch on the coronavirus pandemic and said the payment halt will likely result in default. Lim owned 69% of the Hong Kong unit’s shares as of April 3, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Malaysia’s casino-to-hospitality conglomerate Genting Bhd. and its units previously imposed a first group-wide salary cut since its founding in 1965.
“For Genting, the financial stress may push the owner to sell the asset, or liquidate the entire firm,” said Banny Lam, the head of research at CEB International Investment Corp. “Liquidation is not very likely, but there is such a possibility if Lim doesn’t have money and can’t find a buyer for its assets. In that case, equity holders rank behind bond holders to get compensated.”
Genting Hong Kong shares were down 33% at 2:31 p.m. local time, after falling a record 36%. Genting Bhd. shares were untraded due to a holiday in Malaysia. Genting Singapore Ltd. fell 2.8%.
© Bloomberg Genting Hong Kong shares tumble after company halts payments to creditorsGenting Founder Lim Goh Tong
Citigroup Inc said in a note there is “some reputational damage” to Genting group as chairman Lim is the common sponsor of Genting Hong Kong and other group companies. However, it doesn’t see cross-defaults for the group’s other firms.
Malayan Banking Bhd. and RHB Bank Bhd. were the biggest contributors to Genting Hong Kong’s syndicated loans, according to data compiled by Bloomberg based on disclosed allocations at signing.
Gallery: The richest people in Singapore, ranked (Business Insider)
Genting Hong Kong was formerly known as Star Cruises, and operates the Star Cruises, Dream Cruises and Crystal Cruises lines. Back in February, guests on the World Dream vessel in Hong Kong harbor were quarantined aboard after passengers on a previous voyage tested positive for coronavirus after leaving the cruise.
The industry has been battered by lockdown measures and travel curbs across the globe. Hong Kong has barred non-residents from entering the city since March, while residents returning from abroad have to quarantine for two weeks.
Bonds Drop
Lim’s Genting Bhd. operates casinos and resorts in Las Vegas and Singapore. It’s had to scale back operations as countries impose lockdowns, while consumers shun cruises after a few ships became sites of coronavirus outbreaks. The conglomerate is also involved in property, plantation and energy sectors as well as life sciences.
“Still early days and much will hinge on the outcome of 678 HK’s fund raising exercise and the restructuring of existing indebtedness,” said Jin Rui Oh, a director at United First Partners said. “If this is resolved, then likelier than not to have a positive bearing on the other entities but otherwise, there will be a need to dispose assets to raise cash.”
The Resorts World Las Vegas $1 billion 2029 bonds dropped 6.2 cents to 93.5 cents on the dollar, poised for the largest decline since April, according to Bloomberg-compiled prices. Resorts World Las Vegas is a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Genting Bhd. and the latter is the keepwell provider for the securities.
Genting Bhd. is also the keepwell provider for Genting Overseas Holdings Ltd.’s $1.5 billion 2027 bonds, which fell 2.3 cents to 99.6 cents on the dollar, the prices showed.
(Corrects story published Aug. 20 to note that guests on the World Dream vessel in Hong Kong harbor were quarantined aboard in February after passengers on a previous voyage tested positive for coronavirus.)
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©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
By Stella Goh
Malaysian tycoon Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay’s Genting Berhad operates casinos and resorts in Las Vegas and Singapore. It had to scale back to operation as countries impose lockdowns, while consumers shun cruises after a few ships became site of coronavirus outbreaks. The conglomerate, founded in Malaysia in 1965, is also involved in property, plantation and energy sectors as well as life sciences.
According to the Bloomberg-compiled prices, the Resort World Las Vegas US$1 billion 2029 bonds dropped 6.2 US cents to 93.5 cents on the dollar, poised for the largest decline since April. Resort World Las Vegas is a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Genting Berhad and the latter is the keep well provider for the securities.
The Malaysian tycoon Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay has pledged nearly all his stakes in embattled cruise operator Genting Hong Kong Ltd. As the collateral for loans, it triggering a 38% drop in the company’s shares raising the risk of a margin call and denting investing confidence in Lim’s wider business empire. According to Genting HK, the company’s remaining available cash will be reserved to maintain critical services for the group’s operations. While the company will endeavor to negotiate holistic debt restructuring solution for the current financial indebtedness of the company and continue to engage with interested parties identified by the funding advisors.
After the company announced it has suspended all the payments to the creditors in abid to maintain its critical services, the record of selloff came after. Currently, the stock lost almost two-third of its value since December, and the only part of Lim’s sinking empire amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
In earlier of this year, Genting Berhad’s Casino-to-Hospitality conglomerate and its units had their first-ever group-wide salary reductions and in June it was cutting thousand of jobs. According to the stock exchange filling at the end of last month, Lim has pledging more of his holdings as the shares have plunged. Almost 76% stake in Genting Hong Kong is now committed or 6 billion of shares. Currently, Lim’s fortune is now valued at about $700 million excluding pledged shares, down from 1.5 billion at the beginning of the year.
However, in time of tough market conditions, mortgage stocks sometimes turn into backyard fires, as tycoon have to increase the value of collateral to meet the bank’s demand for covering positions and sometimes are forced to sell assets at lower prices. As for risk in the stock market, the price of relevant stocks will fall further.
According to the Head of Research at CEB International Investment Corporation, the financial stress may push the owner to sell the asset, or liquidate the entire firm. Liquidation is not very likely, but there is such possibility if Lim doesn’t have money and cannot find a buyer for its assets.
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Genting Owner Lim Goh Tong
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