Hyundai Heavy plunges by record on 1.29t won share-sale plan

[SINGAPORE] Hyundai Heavy Industries Co, the world's second-biggest shipbuilder, fell by a record following its plan to raise about 1.29 trillion won (S$1.61 billion) selling new shares for working capital. Its biggest shareholder Hyundai Robotics Co also declined.

Hyundai Heavy intends to sell 12.5 million new shares before the end of March at an estimated price of 103,000 won each, a discount of about 24 per cent to the closing level on Tuesday. The stock fell 28 per cent, the most since the company was listed on South Korea's main board in August 1999, to 97,300 won on Wednesday.

The fundraising plan comes as Hyundai Heavy and other shipyards struggle with declining orders amid overcapacity and weak oil prices, forcing companies to reform and spin off some businesses. Hyundai Robotics, the holding company of Hyundai Heavy Industries Group that was created as part of a restructuring, separately unveiled a plan for an initial public offering for its oil-refining unit, Hyundai Oilbank Co.

"Hyundai Heavy is using the share sale to raise funds it will need as the industry recovers," said Park Moo-hyun, an analyst at Hana Financial Investment Co in Seoul, said Wednesday. "The dearth of orders in 2016 is causing it to have a temporary mismatch in its cash flow amid signs of orders coming back. That will be resolved as it wins more orders."

The final price for the sale, which is open to both new and existing retail and institutional investors, will be determined on March 5, Hyundai Heavy said in a filing after the market's close Tuesday.

Shares of Hyundai Robotics fell as much as 11 per cent, the biggest drop since it was listed in May this year, to 333,500 won. Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co, another shipbuilding unit of Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, dropped as much as 20 per cent. It projected an operating loss in the fourth quarter.

Hyundai Robotics, which owns 91.1 per cent of Hyundai Oilbank, will select a lead manager for the IPO with a goal of listing the oil refiner on the Korea Exchange in the second half of next year, the group said. Hyundai Robotics intends to use the funds raised to strengthen its finances and invest in new businesses.

"The last pieces of the puzzle in the whole revamp effort are coming together," Hyundai Heavy Industries Group said Tuesday. "Hyundai Heavy's share sale plan will help the company move forward with efforts to improve its financials. The group's structure will also become more transparent with the IPO of Hyundai Oilbank."

Hyundai Heavy plans to use the money from the new-share sale to repay debt and to invest in research and development. Hyundai Robotics, which owns 27.8 per cent of Hyundai Heavy, will buy 3.34 million of the new stock.

The shipbuilder said it's projecting an operating loss in the fourth quarter as it builds more vessels for orders won in 2015 and 2016. For the whole of 2017, it expects an operating profit of 46.9 billion won following a profitable first nine months. Sales are expected to decline to 13.6 trillion won in 2018 from an estimated 15.4 trillion won this year.

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