CMA CGM Bonds Tumble to Near-Record Lows on Earnings Collapse
By: Luca Casiraghi | Mar 08 2016 at 05:32 AM | Liner Shipping
CMA CGM SA bonds plunged to near-record lows after the container-shipping line’s quarterly profit collapsed on lower freight rates.
The company’s 725 million-euro ($800 million) bonds due January 2021 fell 4 cents on the euro to 74 cents, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Fourth-quarter earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization tumbled 72 percent to $115.7 million, said Arndt Muthreich, an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus in London. He derived the numbers from full-year results reported by Marseille-based CMA CGM late yesterday.
The world’s third-largest container line is adding debt to support the pending S$3.38 billion ($2.4 billion) acquisition of Singapore-based Neptune Orient Lines Ltd., even as a prolonged slump in shipping rates weighs on earnings. Container lines are struggling to raise fees after a boom in Chinese shipbuilding led to a capacity glut.
“The outlook remains bleak, at least until this summer, while the group is wrapping up the biggest acquisition in its history,” said Delphine Chauvin, an analyst at Oddo & Cie. in Paris. “Given continued pressure on freight rates, we anticipated a sharp fall in results.”
The shipping line didn’t reply to an e-mail request for comment on the earnings.
The company plans to pay for the purchase of Neptune Orient through cash and financing from a group of banks, according to a Dec. 7 statement. It intends to raise more than a $1 billion through steps including cost-cuts and asset sales within two years of closing the deal.
The shipping line’s 300 million euros of notes due December 2018 lost 2 cents to 87 cents.
Annual Ebitda fell 2.8 percent to $1.3 billion, according to the earnings statement. Revenue dropped 6.4 percent decline to $15.7 billion, even with a 6.3 percent increase in container volumes.