If everything is written off what is next?
if restructuring costs will disappear what is next?
if legal conflicts are solved what is next?
If debt restructuring will happen what is next?
high risk but if this works out
Dear Mr GermanGuy,
I will take a bite at answering your questions:
1. If everything is written off what is next?
I assume by "written off" you are referring to my statements in respect of the impairments. In conventional terms, this means that from an Accounting and Legal perspective, there is very little if anything to offer as a settlement to the litigant shareholders and litigant vendors. Unless, they are willing to accept a significantly lower settlement, Steinhoff has nothing to really offer.
This is a perfectly acceptable position, and it is up to the litigants to either accept or challenge this.
2. if restructuring costs will disappear what is next?
While the restructuring costs are high, they are not a sustainable cost. They are over the current/short term accounting period of one year, but they should not be something that will be on the books on 4 years from now. Theoretically, the net income should be correspondingly higher or the net loss slightly smaller (but not the earnings due to the after tax impact). The EPS or LPS should be also different depending on if there is a material change in the number of share in issue.
3. if legal conflicts are solved what is next?
In all the universe, nothing is weighing down more on the Steinhoff shares. Not the creditors, nor the poor performing businesses, not even the now historical fraud. It the lawsuits are settled, Steinhoff will almost immediately become a fully investable business for almost all institutional investors. The two most valuable businesses PepCo and Pepkor have provided a staggeringly good return for shareholders. The Law of Diminishing Returns suggests that this cannot continue ad infinitem. But, these businesses (especially PepCo) are still in growth phase. The greater than historical average 24% pa compound growth in earnings still has a lot of years to come.
If the lawsuit is settled, this is a Saturn V rocket strapped onto the company...
4. If debt restructuring will happen what is next?
For the most part, the debt restructuring has already happened in August 2019. If however, you are now referring to the period beyond the 2021 year when the current CVA ends, this depends on what has happened until then.
Steinhoff has already made enormous progress in this regard. There will be various debt for equity swops, including with the PepCo IPO.
It is also very likely, almost a given really, that Debt may be restructured again in 2021, with the debt refinanced at a materially lower, market related interest rate.
I also think that there may be additional assets sold off, including the European (Hemisphere) properties division. I am still not totally convinced that Steinhoff will retain their 50.1% of Conforama in 5 to 10 years from now. In fact, I think that they will review their entire furniture and household businesses and may make a push to retain only their clothing business like Pepkor and PepCo. Possibly, they may make another foray into Shoprite or similar at some point in the future.
This is all very speculative, and are entirely my own musing. Please treat with caution. This is not investment advice.
Best Regards
Captainfrom82
Edited by Captainfrom82, 29 December 2019 - 03:00 PM.