Chinese property developer Shimao misses repayment on $1 billion bond

HONG KONG, July 3 (Reuters) – Chinese language property developer Shimao Group (0813.HK) has missed the curiosity and principal cost of a $1 billion offshore bond due on Sunday, within the newest blow to China’s embattled property market.

The non-repayment was the primary missed public offshore cost for the Shanghai-based developer. With an impressive $6.1 billion worldwide bonds, Shimao is the sixth largest issuer amongst Chinese language builders, in keeping with Refinitiv.

China’s property sector has been hit by a sequence of defaults on offshore debt obligations, highlighted by China Evergrande Group (3333.HK), as soon as the nation’s top-selling developer however now the world’s most indebted property firm.

Three of the highest 5 issuers – Evergrande, Kaisa Group (1638.HK) and Sunac China (1918.HK) – have already defaulted their greenback bonds.

Shimao was unable to pay a complete of $1.02 billion in principal and curiosity to collectors of the 4.75% senior notes, the developer stated in a Sunday submitting on the Hong Kong bourse, citing “market uncertainties over debt refinancing” and “difficult working and funding situations”.

It added that it additionally didn’t make principal funds below sure different offshore indebtedness, with out giving particulars.

The developer has not acquired discover of acceleration of reimbursement from its lenders, it stated, suggesting the debtholders haven’t moved to take enforcement actions.

Shimao employed Admiralty Harbour Capital as its monetary adviser and Sidley Austin its authorized adviser to assist assess and discover methods to handle the liquidity disaster.

In the meantime, collectors of its two syndicated loans have agreed to present the cash-strapped Chinese language developer a breather.

Shimao stated it had acquired written discover of assist from the vast majority of the lenders of two syndicated loans agreed upon in 2018 and 2019, by which HSBC acted because the lead facilitator for twin forex loans.

The collectors, who’re “usually supportive of the corporate persevering with to discover the potential of an settlement and implementation of a possible restructuring with its related stakeholders”, had been prepared to permit Shimao to proceed to run the enterprise with minimal disruption, in keeping with the submitting.

Shimao’s bond in query traded at 12.141 cents on the greenback on Friday, in keeping with Length Finance.

Shimao has been extending its debt obligations onshore and disposing of property to lift fund, whereas its contracted gross sales within the first 5 months dropped 72% from a 12 months in the past.

Reporting by Selena Li and Clare Jim; Enhancing by Louise Heavens and Edmund Blair

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