Shares in PPC hit 13-year low

SA cement producer plans to accelerate and strengthen a push to raise capital following a credit-rating cut by S&P.

Johannesburg - PPC shares dropped to a 13-year low after the South African cement maker said it would accelerate and strengthen a plan to raise capital following a credit-rating cut by S&P Global Ratings, which warned of a possible liquidity squeeze in the coming weeks.

S&P cut PPC’s long- and short-term corporate credit ratings seven levels to below investment grade and placed its long-term rating on negative watch, the ratings company said late on Monday. As a result, holders of PPC’s R1.75 billion ($110 million) of domestic medium-term notes can choose to redeem the securities and interest, the Johannesburg-based company said in a statement on Tuesday.

Read: PPC warns of downgrade

“The severity and timing of this ratings action was unexpected and has therefore compelled the company to accelerate its capital raising plans and increase the quantum of the previously planned capital raise, in order to make provision for the potential redemption of the notes,” PPC said.

The company said on May 23 it was preparing a capital raising of R3 billion to R4 billion to cut debt and fund expansions.

PPC is expanding in Africa to counter tough competition and falling prices in its home market. Projects are located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. The company’s ratio of adjusted debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation will average four times in the 2016 and 2017 financial years due to the heavy capital expenditure plans and a weaker operating environment in South Africa, S&P said on Monday.

PPC plans to raise as much as 4 billion rand through a rights issue and will also consider other forms of equity capital raising as appropriate, it said on Monday. Details of the rights issue will be announced on June 14, when the company is scheduled to report annual results.

PPC fell as much as 9 percent in Johannesburg on Monday to R9.35 a share, the lowest since March 2003, before recovering to a 2.9 percent decline at 9.27am. The shares have slumped 51 percent in the past 12 months.

BLOOMBERG