Cos resort to distress sales of non-core assets
is more or less forced to divest non-core assets as part of its corporate debt restructuring scheme, Lanco has announced plans to sell two road projects and reduce holdings in hydro and thermal power projects as it seeks to reduce its R32,000-crore debt before the situation becomes critical.
Delays in finding a buyer for a partial stake sale in its holding company for power projects and raise R4,150 crore has forced Lanco to look at selling stakes separately in three power projects in Udupi, Amarkantak and Babandh for R2,500 crore.
“This indicates that deal activity was driven by sellers desperate for cash who sold off without waiting too long for an improvement in valuations and market conditions,” said a transaction consultant with a global audit and consultancy firm.
Calendar 2012 saw a slew of asset sales by promoters with a heavy debt burdens, but lack of buyers meant that such deals were often rushed. “In the game-changing deals of the year, the key strategy of sellers was to focus more on core businesses and reduce debt,” said investment advisory and consultancy firm Grant Thornton in its Annual Deal Tracker report for 2012. “Several multi-million dollar deals were struck in primarily to reduce the debt burden such as Diageo-USL deal, Aditya Birla-Pantaloon deal.”
The Future Group sold its Pantaloon retail format to Aditya Birla Nuvo for $160 million months before foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail was allowed. After the Pantaloon deal, the group also sold its financial services company Future Capital Holdings to private
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