Pop goes the weasel: Evergrande

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/03/investing/evergrande-stock-tr…

Embattled Chinese property developer Evergrande suspended trading in Hong Kong on Monday as the heavily indebted company contends with an ongoing real estate crisis.

Evergrande said in a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that its trading halt was pending an “announcement containing inside information,” though it did not elaborate.

The company has about $300 billion in total liabilities, and analysts have worried for months about whether a collapse could trigger a wider crisis in China’s property market, hurting homeowners and the broader financial system. The US Federal Reserve warned last year that trouble in Chinese real estate could damage the global economy.

In December, Fitch Ratings declared that the company had defaulted on its debt, a downgrade the credit ratings agency said reflected Evergrande’s inability to pay interest due that month on two dollar-denominated bonds.

The company’s stock was rattled last week after more debt payment deadlines passed without signs that it had met its obligations, though it reportedly has a 30-day grace period to pay those debts.

Jeff

2 Likes