Nel mentre, è andata definitivamente in default, accedendo all'amministrazione controllata, Thomson SA, ed è uno dei rari casi in cui la Francia lascia defaultare un'azienda tecnologica, per quanto decotta... si tratterà di una procedura veloce, che dovrebbe vedere Thomson venirne fuori per Febbraio 2010.
French Technology Group Thomson S.A. Ratings Revised To 'D' On Filing for Safeguard Proceedings
Publication date: 01-Dec-2009 00:09:49 EST
- On Nov. 30, 2009, Thomson S.A. filed for "procedure de sauvegarde."
- As a result, we are revising Thomson's ratings to D (default) from SD (selective default).
- We expect to reassess Thomson's ratings when the company emerges from "sauvegarde."
MADRID (Standard & Poor's) Dec. 1, 2009--Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said today that it has lowered its long- and short-term corporate credit ratings on French technology group Thomson S.A. to 'D' from 'SD'. At the same time, Standard & Poor's revised its ratings on Thomson's €1.75 billion senior unsecured bank loan and junior subordinated perpetual notes to 'D' from, respectively, 'CC' and 'C'. Thomson's estimated gross financial debt was €2.7 billion at Sept. 30, 2009.
The recovery ratings on the above bank loan and subordinated debt are unchanged, at '3' and '6', respectively, indicating our expectation of meaningful (50%-70%) and negligible (0%-10%) recovery for unsecured and subordinated creditors (respectively).
The rating actions reflect Thomson's announcement yesterday that it has filed for "Procédure de Sauvegarde" (safeguard proceedings) to implement its debt restructuring. Under Standard & Poor's methodology, an issuer credit rating is placed on 'D' upon a bankruptcy filing or similar action, implying that the issuer will fail to meet its debt obligations on the terms originally contracted. (See section "Definitions" in "Corporate Ratings Criteria 2008".")
Under the safeguard proceedings, Thomson plans to put to the vote of its
lenders and bondholders on Dec. 21 and 22, 2009 (and to its shareholders on Jan. 27, 2010) a restructuring plan based on the terms agreed on July 24, 2009 by the majority of its senior creditors. If the plan is approved, the company expects the end of the safeguard proceedings by February 2010.
Should the plan not be approved, the company will request the Court on Dec. 23, 2009 to enforce a safeguard plan in accordance with the French commercial code provisions. Under such a court-imposed plan, the company expects its current debt would be maintained, principal repayment rescheduled over 10 years with annual repayment of 5% during the first nine years and with unchanged interest rates.
Thomson's restructuring agreement of April 24, 2009, provides for a reduction in gross senior debt to €1.55 billion from €2.84 billion, primarily through a debt-for-equity swap and some instruments ("obligations remboursables en actions" [ORAs]) providing deferred access to equity.
Thomson would also issue some notes, to be repaid with the proceeds of the expected asset disposals. At the outset of this restructuring plan, Thomson expects it would have cash of about €400 million.
"When Thomson emerges from reorganization, we will reassess the ratings and the factors behind them, taking into account what precipitated the default and also any gains achieved through the reorganization process," said Standard & Poor's credit analyst Leandro de Torres Zabala.