I divested my investment in CitySpring Infrastructure Trust last year in October. At that time, the Trust was trading at 60.5c/unit. Long regarded the investment as a mistake, the divestment was premised upon the Trust's weak fundamentals and relatively low distribution yield.
The Trust's last done price was 53.5c/unit today and its managers announced a rights issue to raise about $210.2 million in gross proceeds to strengthen its balance sheet. Each unitholder will be asked to buy 11 new CitySpring units for every 20 held at 39c per rights unit. This rights issue is, more or less, expected with a very weak balance sheet.
I have mentioned before that rights issue to fund yield accretive purchases is good for unitholders. However, a rights issue to "strengthen balance sheet" which, basically, acknowledges a weak balance sheet in the first instance is not a good deal. They are asking for money to pay down debts. So, this rights issue lowers both the DPU and distribution yield straightaway.
A unitholder with an investment of 20 lots in the Trust would end up with 31 lots if he subscribes to his entitlement. He would still get the same total quarterly income distribution in dollar terms with 31 lots as he did with 20 lots. A lower DPU and distribution yield. Definitely not a good deal.
Good luck to existing unitholders.
Related post:
CitySpring Infrastructure Trust: Thoughts on divestment.
Read announcement here.
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