Get 40% Off
💰 Buffett reveals a $6.7B stake in Chubb. Copy the full portfolio for FREE with InvestingPro’s Stock Ideas toolCopy Portfolios

UPDATE 1-Australia's Quintis handed lifeline by BlackRock-led bondholders

Published 01/06/2018, 01:30 pm
Updated 01/06/2018, 01:40 pm
© Reuters.  UPDATE 1-Australia's Quintis handed lifeline by BlackRock-led bondholders
BLK
-
QIN
-

* Capital of up to A$175 mln to be injected

* Quintis was targeted by Glaucus last year

* Unsecured creditors to get some money back (Recasts and adds details on the Quintis collapse)

By Tom Westbrook

SYDNEY, June 1 (Reuters) - Bondholders led by BlackRock Inc (NYSE:BLK) BLK.N have agreed to inject capital into Quintis Ltd QIN.AX and take it private, rescuing the Australian sandalwood firm after it collapsed in the wake of a short-seller attack.

Between A$125 million and A$175 million ($95 million to $132 million) in capital will be provided and the bondholders will acquire control of the company, administrator McGrathNicol said in a statement.

"It is expected that the proposal will be supported by growers, employees and creditors whose rights and long term interests are protected," the statement said.

It added that the proposal will make available a pool of funds to provide a return to unsecured creditors.

BlackRock, the world's biggest asset manager and the largest Quintis bondholder, declined to comment.

Quintis was hit with one of the most aggressive shortselling attacks seen to date in Australia, when Glaucus Research Group said in March 2017 that its shares were worthless and suggested that a Chinese client was not a bonafide sandalwood buyer.

Quintis said at the time that the Glaucus report was inaccurate and unfounded, but it went into administration in January after it was unable to make a payment to one of its bondholders. It had also terminated its contract with the Chinese client. [nL4N1PG0IE}

3rd party Ad. Not an offer or recommendation by Investing.com. See disclosure here or remove ads .

The company owns sandalwood plantations in northern Australia and oil from the trees is sold to India and China for fragrances, cosmetics and medicinal uses.

Formerly known as TFS Corp, it is one of the last remaining publicly listed managed investment schemes in Australia.

Timbercorp Ltd and several other large forestry schemes have also collapsed, with their investment models criticised for frequently involving small investors borrowing money for high-risk operations. ($1 = 1.3228 Australian dollars)

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.