Intanto il perpetual Thomson risente della situazione della società, che si approssima ad una ristrutturazione distressed del debito se non a chiedere tutela dai creditori ... la partita si giocherà con i titolari del debito senior, e i BH del perpetual difficilmente porteranno a casa qualcosa.
Lo stato dell'arte in questo commento di S&P, che riepiloga gli ultimi passaggi della vicenda (del perpetual avevamo già parlato, credo in questo stesso 3D).
In sostanza, il differimento senza contropartite accordato dai creditori alla scadenza di debito senior non rateato per 92 mln euro (che Thomson non era evidentemente in grado di ripagare) nonché dai creditori secured e unsecured per la violazione dei covenant cui è assoggetto il loro credito verso Thomson si configura quale situazione equivalente ad un default.
French Technology Group Thomson S.A. Downgraded To 'SD' (Selective Default) On Deferred Principal Debt Repayment
MADRID (Standard & Poor's) May 7, 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 'SD' (selective default) from 'CC' and 'C', respectively. At the same time, Standard & Poor's affirmed its 'CC' rating on Thomson's €1.75 billion senior unsecured bank loan and its 'C' rating on Thomson's junior subordinated perpetual notes.
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) in the event of a payment default.
The downgrade follows Thomson's agreement with its senior creditors, announced on April 28, 2009, to defer until June 16, 2009, the repayment of about $92.5 million of principal debt due May 17, 2009, under its private placements (which are not rated).
"Under our methodology (see our criteria article "Rating Implications Of Exchange Offers And Similar Restructurings," published on Jan. 28, 2009, on Standard & Poor's public Web site at
www.standardandpoors.com), given that Thomson has not offered sufficient compensation for this deferral, the extension of the debt maturity is tantamount to a restructuring below par by a distressed issuer, and thus to a default," said Standard & Poor's credit analyst Leandro de Torres Zabala.
On the same date, Thomson also announced that it had obtained waivers from its senior creditors until June 16, 2009 (the scheduled date of its Annual General Meeting) for the covenants breached under its senior financial debt (including the privately placed debt and senior unsecured bank loan, for a total of €2.9 billion). During this period, the group will continue discussions (ongoing since February 2009) with its senior creditors on the restructuring of its balance sheet.
Under the waivers, the senior creditors--representing substantially all of Thomson's unsubordinated financial debt--have agreed not to accelerate the debt at any time prior to June 16 based on the breaches of the two financial covenants and of limitations set forth in the privately placed notes and the senior unsecured bank loan.
We plan to reassess Thomson's capital structure at the end of the waiver period in June.
"We could lower the long- and short-term corporate credit ratings on Thomson to 'D' (default) if the group's senior creditors accelerate the debt and the group is unable to repay, or if Thomson renegotiates the original terms under its senior unsecured bank loan, undertakes a distressed exchange offer for all of its debt, or files for creditor protection," said Mr. de Torres.
If and when Thomson were to then emerge from bankruptcy or another form of reorganization, Standard & Poor's would reassess the ratings and the factors behind them, taking into account what precipitated the default and also any gains achieved through the reorganization process