ArcelorMittal to Raise $3 Billion After Hefty Net Loss - Update
February 05 2016 - 3:03AM
Dow Jones News
By Alex MacDonald
LONDON-- ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steelmaker, said
Friday it will issue $3 billion worth of shares to strengthen its
balance sheet as it grapples with a world-wide steel glut which
contributed to a near $7 billion fourth-quarter net loss.
The Mittal family, the steel group's controlling shareholder,
will subscribe to its entitlement of the share issue, or about $1.1
billion. Lakshmi Mittal is ArcelorMittal's chairman and chief
executive. At the end of last year, the family owned 39.4% of the
company's shares.
The company will also sell it 35% stake in Spain's automotive
metals component firm Gestamp for about $1 billion by the end of
June as part of the cash-raising program to pay down debt.
ArcelorMittal said it wants to reduce net debt to less than $12
billion from $15.7 billion at the end of December.
"This capital raise, combined with the sale of our minority
shareholding in Gestamp, will...help ensure that the business is
resilient in any market environment and puts ArcelorMittal in a
position of strength from which to further improve performance,"
said Mr. Mittal.
The urgency of ArcelorMittal's debt-reduction plan was
underscored by the company's latest results, released Friday a week
earlier than scheduled, in which its net loss ballooned to $6.7
billion in the three months to end-December from $955 million the
same quarter a year before.
Fourth-quarter revenue sank 25% to $14 billion on a 7% decline
in steel shipments, as falling prices of iron ore and steel
hammered ArcelorMittal's performance.
ArcelorMittal said impairment charges of $4.8 billion largely
related to its iron-ore operations led to a full-year loss of $7.9
billion.
ArcelorMittal shares have fallen 58% over the past year. Falling
steel prices in its regional markets and excess steel supply from
China, the world's largest steel producer, have exerted intense
pressure on its business. China has exported record amounts of the
metal to Europe and other markets amid shrinking demand at
home.
Tata Steel Ltd. of India, in announcing plans to cut a further
1,050 jobs from its U.K. operations last month, joined the chorus
of steelmakers urging governments to do more to stem the tide of
inexpensive steel from China.
Slack demand and falling prices has led other mining and metals
companies--ArcelorMittal mines iron ore and coal itself--to ask
shareholders for cash to shore up their finances as investors worry
about their ability to finance their borrowings amid the slump in
commodity producers' revenues.
French specialty steelmaker Vallourec SA announced this week
plans to raise EUR1 billion ($1.1 billion) from bonds and shares
amid drastic cutbacks in its business. Glencore PLC, the world's
third largest diversified miner, issued $2.5 billion in shares last
September as part of plan to reduce net debt by more than $10
billion.
Mr. Mittal said the steel group faces continued tough trading
conditions.
"[This year] will be another difficult year for our industries,"
said Mr. Mittal. "It is clear that China has a challenge to
restructure its steel industry...Until this situation is fully
addressed the effective and swift implementation of trade defense
instruments will be critical," he said.
In the fourth quarter, ArcelorMittal said earnings before
interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization fell 39% to $1.1
billion, in line market expectations according to analysts polled
by data provider FactSet.
Looking ahead, ArcelorMittal said it expects to generate more
than $4.5 billion in Ebtida this year following a 28% drop to $5.2
billion last year.
Write to Alex MacDonald at alex.macdonald@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 05, 2016 02:48 ET (07:48 GMT)
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