Chinese developer Fantasia denies creditor claim on unit’s shares

2:39 am Saturday, December 11th, 2021

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Chinese developer Fantasia Holdings denied a claim by a creditor that a $96.98 million loan on which it missed a payment was secured by shares in its property management unit.

TFI Securities and Futures Ltd told Fantasia it was entitled to enforce the charge of 780 million shares in the unit, Colour Life Services Group, Fantasia said in a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange late on Friday.

Fantasia shares, suspended since Nov. 29 pending inside information, will resume trading on Monday, it said.

The developer, which missed payment on $205.7 million in offshore notes that were due on Oct. 4, is one of number of indebted Chinese developers that have failed to make debt payments, sending shudders through global financial markets in recent months with fears of knock-on effects around the world.

Larger peers China Evergrande Group and Kaisa Group, with the two largest piles of offshore debt in the country, missed offshore bond payment deadlines this week, prompting rating agency Fitch to downgrade them to “restricted default”.

In the Friday filing, Fantasia said it has sold its interests in a Ninbgo development in eastern China for 200 million yuan ($31 million) in an effort to ease liquidity strains.

The developer said its major onshore unit reached agreement last month with holders of a 7.8% yuan bond due next year to extend the maturity to 2024, and pay the interest that had become due on Nov. 29 in stages.

Moody’s withdrew its Fantasia ratings on Friday, citing insufficient information.

Late last month, Fantasia said a winding-up petition was filed against a unit related to a $149 million outstanding loan.

Chairman Pan Jun said in the company’s WeChat account on Monday the firm had discussed an initial proposal on its overseas debt restructuring with its financial and legal adviser, and it was actively talking to 95% of the holders of its total $4 billion offshore bonds that it has identified.

Fantasia hired Houlihan Lokey as financial adviser and Sidley Austin as legal adviser in October.

($1 = 6.3685 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Clare Jim; Editing by William Mallard)