(Reuters) – Swedish property group SBB said on Friday its unit will issue preference shares worth 2.36 billion Swedish crowns ($228 million) to an investment fund managed by Morgan Stanley, in a bid to boost its liquidity and financial profile.
Following the transaction, Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing will hold a minority stake in SBB Residential Property, the company said in a statement.
The unit, which currently comprises rent-regulated residential properties in Sweden with a fair value of about 6.2 billion Swedish crowns as on June 30, 2023, will be controlled and operated by SBB.
The preference shares have no maturity date and no payment obligation, and rely on the return of capital on an exit or by SBB redeeming the shares.
SBB is scrambling to salvage its finances after recently seeing its credit rating downgraded to junk. Its shares have lost over 90% of their value since peaking in 2021.
High debt, rising interest rates and a wilting economy have produced a toxic cocktail for Sweden’s commercial property companies, with many such as SBB seeing their credit status being cut to junk.
($1 = 10.3449 Swedish crowns)
(Reporting by Shivani Tanna and Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
