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Cathay Pacific plans recapitalisation, government takes 6% stake in airline

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Cathay Pacific plans recapitalisation, government takes 6% stake in airline

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Old Jun 9, 2020, 8:42 pm
  #61  
 
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I am pleased to learn that Cathay will survive but disappointed at learning little else. All I could glean from the announcement was that "Cathay Pacific management has been active and agile". (At least they were not proactive, a nonsense word created by a non English speaker.) And "... deferring new aircraft orders and deciding on the retirement of older aircraft...." Also that these active and agile folk would decide by the fourth quarter what Cathay future should be. That is until the next review. And have they not been working on this since early this year?

The rights issue is huge. The latest accounts are history. Why not give a proforma update, I hope that management gets that to aid them run the business. Also tell the poor shareholders what aircraft orders have been deferred and by how much, and what older aircraft are to be retired and when. The only comment I found was in a broker's note saying that 2020 deliveries have been deferred to 2021. I guess that must have either come from the Chairman's unreported briefing or was invented by the broker. Anyway, such information is not to be shared with the public. Too confidential.
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Old Jun 9, 2020, 9:25 pm
  #62  
 
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Originally Posted by garykung
An ownership by CA isn't a bad thing. At the minimum, CX has better access to the Mainland market.

But this is definitely not a good deal. See below.



It will keep getting worse.

CX has been mismanaged for years (seriously, when an airline lost that much from hedging but made money on others, you know there must be something wrong). The new owner literally knows jack about businesses, as it practically fails in each instance.

Don't forget - the new owner is extremely biased (i.e. worse than CA) because it decides to save CX and leave HX untouched. Since CX becomes a SOE, their operations can be monitored by the new owner more closely.
Air China Group is 100% SOE. Air China Ltd is partially owned public company - OK, let's say it's a full SOE. CX's biggest shareholder is Swire who owns 45% and controls 54% voting rights. On CX board there are 7 Swire related directors and 5 CA ones. How does CX become a SOE? Unless Swire is run by the party.

HX on the other hand, is controlled by HNA Group, which in turn indeed is a SOE, under management of the government of Hainan Province.
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Old Jun 9, 2020, 9:38 pm
  #63  
 
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Originally Posted by TomYoung
I am pleased to learn that Cathay will survive but disappointed at learning little else. All I could glean from the announcement was that "Cathay Pacific management has been active and agile". (At least they were not proactive, a nonsense word created by a non English speaker.) And "... deferring new aircraft orders and deciding on the retirement of older aircraft...." Also that these active and agile folk would decide by the fourth quarter what Cathay future should be. That is until the next review. And have they not been working on this since early this year?

The rights issue is huge. The latest accounts are history. Why not give a proforma update, I hope that management gets that to aid them run the business. Also tell the poor shareholders what aircraft orders have been deferred and by how much, and what older aircraft are to be retired and when. The only comment I found was in a broker's note saying that 2020 deliveries have been deferred to 2021. I guess that must have either come from the Chairman's unreported briefing or was invented by the broker. Anyway, such information is not to be shared with the public. Too confidential.
And what exactly would you expect management to say in the current environment? What is it they should have said which any other listed airline has recently said or is able to say?
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Old Jun 9, 2020, 9:38 pm
  #64  
 
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Originally Posted by SKRan
Air China Group is 100% SOE. Air China Ltd is partially owned public company - OK, let's say it's a full SOE. CX's biggest shareholder is Swire who owns 45% and controls 54% voting rights. On CX board there are 7 Swire related directors and 5 CA ones. How does CX become a SOE? Unless Swire is run by the party.

HX on the other hand, is controlled by HNA Group, which in turn indeed is a SOE, under management of the government of Hainan Province.
you are wrong about HX and HNA Group.

HNA Group is not SOE. It is private-owned. HU, on the other hand, is majority-owned by Hainan Provincial government, but under management of HNA Group, a minority shareholder, not Hainan Provincial government.
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Old Jun 9, 2020, 10:20 pm
  #65  
 
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Originally Posted by SKRan
About Swire:
Swire has very long history in Hong Kong and it's in Swire's benefit that HK is stable with a good economy. Swire also has a number of high profile property business in the mainland. I see zero reason for Swire to exit from CX.
Also, the agreement with the HK gov't stipulates Swire must remain a controlling shareholder otherwise all funds will need to be immediately repaid so fair to conclude there are no plans for Swire to exit from CX either.
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Old Jun 9, 2020, 11:08 pm
  #66  
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Originally Posted by SKRan
How does CX become a SOE? Unless Swire is run by the party.
It has been for a while...but things have been more clear since last year...

Originally Posted by triplefives
Also, the agreement with the HK gov't stipulates Swire must remain a controlling shareholder otherwise all funds will need to be immediately repaid so fair to conclude there are no plans for Swire to exit from CX either.
What if CA becomes the majority owner?
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Old Jun 10, 2020, 12:26 am
  #67  
 
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Originally Posted by freed0m
you are wrong about HX and HNA Group.

HNA Group is not SOE. It is private-owned. HU, on the other hand, is majority-owned by Hainan Provincial government, but under management of HNA Group, a minority shareholder, not Hainan Provincial government.
I don't want to get into this topic again here. But it is painfully clear to anyone who has done any sort of business dealing with China that when it matters, every Chinese company is an SOE.
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Old Jun 10, 2020, 1:40 am
  #68  
 
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Originally Posted by CX HK
I don't want to get into this topic again here. But it is painfully clear to anyone who has done any sort of business dealing with China that when it matters, every Chinese company is an SOE.
It is exactly this kind of mindset that blindsides people from Hong Kong that they don't recognize the advance China has made in the last two decades, which are not driven by SOEs.

underlying those bureaucracy, there are many enterprising spirits.
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Old Jun 10, 2020, 7:02 am
  #69  
 
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Originally Posted by freed0m
you are wrong about HX and HNA Group.

HNA Group is not SOE. It is private-owned. HU, on the other hand, is majority-owned by Hainan Provincial government, but under management of HNA Group, a minority shareholder, not Hainan Provincial government.
misposted
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Old Jun 10, 2020, 7:05 am
  #70  
 
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this thread is about CX and we have to focus on what is being done to CX.
SKRan is offline  
Old Jun 10, 2020, 11:41 am
  #71  
 
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Originally Posted by garykung
It has been for a while...but things have been more clear since last year...
Swire is run by the Party, you mean?

Originally Posted by garykung
What if CA becomes the majority owner?
No one knows what will happen in the future, but based on what is happening now, this is not the case.

Based on https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/li...0060900354.pdf
Swire Pacific has also undertaken to Aviation 2020 that, until the date of issue of the preference shares to be issued by Cathay Pacific and so long thereafter as Aviation 2020 remains the holder of such preference shares or any amount of the bridge loan facility to be made available to Cathay Pacific is outstanding, Swire Pacific will remain a controlling shareholder (as defined in the Listing Rules) of Cathay Pacific and will ensure that Cathay Pacific will not do any act or thing that would result in Swire Pacific ceasing to be such a controlling shareholder of Cathay Pacific.
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Old Jun 10, 2020, 11:44 am
  #72  
 
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Originally Posted by SKRan
Air China Group is 100% SOE. Air China Ltd is partially owned public company - OK, let's say it's a full SOE. CX's biggest shareholder is Swire who owns 45% and controls 54% voting rights. On CX board there are 7 Swire related directors and 5 CA ones. How does CX become a SOE? Unless Swire is run by the party.

HX on the other hand, is controlled by HNA Group, which in turn indeed is a SOE, under management of the government of Hainan Province.
Originally Posted by freed0m
you are wrong about HX and HNA Group.

HNA Group is not SOE. It is private-owned. HU, on the other hand, is majority-owned by Hainan Provincial government, but under management of HNA Group, a minority shareholder, not Hainan Provincial government.
Originally Posted by SKRan
misposted
While the exact definition used by SKRan was off, I think it is clear that if someone were to consider CX an SOE based on what is going on now, that someone should have long considered HX an SOE.
ernestnywang is offline  
Old Jun 10, 2020, 2:12 pm
  #73  
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Originally Posted by ernestnywang
Swire is run by the Party, you mean?
No. However, many CX's decision laterly have been influenced by CAAC.
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Old Jun 10, 2020, 9:10 pm
  #74  
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Like for other airlines, this combination of loans and equity will allow CX to survive the next few months. SIA announced it much earlier (late March) and it was significantly bigger.

But a drastic and dynamic contraction plan has to be implemented for the next few years and beyond.
This is a challenge facing all airlines.and several have already hinted at some strategy.

I hope that CX can now move to structuring such a plan which is likely to be quite painful. Unless CX moves quickly and decisively, the current band aid will need to be replaced by another one, and I don't see the HK government ready for it.
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Old Jun 10, 2020, 9:23 pm
  #75  
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Originally Posted by brunos
SIA announced it much earlier (late March) and it was significantly bigger.
SQ is a SOE from the beginning. So if the Republic is willing, the Republic can do whatever it takes to save or destroy SQ.
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