By Rishabh Jaiswal
(Reuters) -Swedish property group SBB on Sunday divested 1.16% of its education subsidiary EduCo to Brookfield Super-Core Infrastructure Partners for around 242 million Swedish crowns ($21.73 million) as it looks to bolster its finances.
SBB will hold approximately 49.84% of EduCo after the divestment, following which EduCo will be controlled by Brookfield. The transaction is expected to be completed in October this year.
Sweden is in the grips of a worsening property crisis, with developers grappling with large debts, rising interest rates and a wilting economy. Earlier this year, the International Monetary Fund flagged Sweden’s historically high household borrowing, coupled with debt-driven commercial property firms and their dependence on local banks, as a financial stability risk.
SBB, one of Sweden’s largest commercial landlords, in May initiated a strategic review including a potential sale of all of the company, or some of its business segments, to improve its finances.
As part of the deal announced on Sunday, EduCo will repay part of its inter-company loan from SBB, resulting in the Stockholm-based company receiving approximately 7.8 billion Swedish crowns ($700.46 million) in cash.
SBB’s remaining loan to EduCo will be around 5.5 billion Swedish crowns.
Brookfield bought a 49% stake in EduCo from SBB in November of last year. Discussions with Brookfield to sell the remaining 51% stake broke down in July, dealing a blow to SBB, which was fighting for survival after its shares plunged in May on concerns over its financial position and a refinancing of billions of crowns in debt.
Brookfield Super-Core Infrastructure Partners is the infrastructure fund of Canada’s Brookfield Asset Management. Brookfield declined to comment.
SBB also said it had decided on a decentralised group structure, wherein the company will establish three wholly, or partially owned business units – Education, Community, and Residential.
($1 = 11.1356 Swedish crowns)
(Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru; editing by Barbara Lewis and Sharon Singleton)