CDL sells Sincere stake for US$1; raises stake in Shenzhen tech park

Sep 11, 2021

CITY Developments (CDL) has exited its investment in China-based Sincere Property Group for a consideration of US$1, while raising its stake in a technology park in Shenzhen.

Late on Friday night, the property developer announced an agreement to sell its 63.75 per cent interest in HCP Chongqing Property Development (HCP Cayman) to an unrelated third party incorporated in the Republic of Seychelles. HCP Cayman holds an 80.01 per cent equity interest in Sincere.

The consideration was agreed upon after taking into account Sincere's current liquidity issues and its potential bankruptcy, CDL said.

For its FY2020, CDL had booked a S$1.78 billion impairment for losses attributable to Sincere - effectively writing down 93 per cent of its total investment in Sincere.

A bankruptcy claim has been filed against Sincere in China. The Chinese developer has also missed payment on a bond.

Concurrently, CDL is increasing its stake in a company that owns 65 per cent of Shenzhen Longgang Tusincere Tech Park (Shenzhen Tech Park). A Shenzhen Longgang District state-owned enterprise holds the remaining 35 per cent.

The transfer represents partial repayment of a loan owed by Sincere to a wholly-owned subsidiary of CDL.

CDL had in February acquired 84.6 per cent of Shenzhen Tusincere Technology Park Development Co (Shenzhen Tusincere) from Sincere for 850 million yuan or S$174 million at the time.

The latest transaction will make Shenzhen Tusincere a wholly owned subsidiary of CDL. The latter will now have direct operational control over the project management of Shenzhen Tech Park and be in a position to ringfence its investment in the property.

The transfer will further reduce CDL's financial exposure to Sincere, which was S$117 million at end-June. CDL said the reduction in exposure would be "by the fair value" of the transfer but did not provide the amount. It said it will "continue to assess the recoverability of the remaining balance of its financial exposure".

CDL added that all its nominee directors and officers will resign from Sincere and its related companies once the divestment is completed.

The group does not expect the Sincere divestment and Shenzhen Tusincere agreement to have a material impact on the group's earnings per share of net tangible asset per share for fiscal 2021.

Shares of CDL ended Friday 0.9 per cent or S$0.06 higher to S$6.67, before the announcement.