Five ways Steinhoff could save itself

BLOOMBERGSteinhoff International Holdings NV’s attempts to arrest the fallout over accounting irregularities have failed to restore investor trust. Despite three statements from the company in the past 48 hours, more than R140 billion (US$10.3 billion) in value has been destroyed, showing that investors don’t believe the retailer has gone far enough to boost confidence in the stock.Here are five things the Frankfurt- and Johannesburg-listed company could do to try to save itself from collapse, according to analysts and fund managers.1. Sell assets, such as propertySteinhoff said in a statement on Thursday that it could sell “certain noncore assets” and raise a minimum of €1 billion (US$1.2 billion). Better disclosure about what constitutes a noncore asset might help restore trust. The company could detail its targets for sales and the expressions of interest it said it had received. Any properties for sale could be listed separately from businesses, according to Ron Klipin, a portfolio manager at Cratos Wealth in Johannesburg. A report by market researcher Euromonitor International suggested closing some stores.2. Refinance liabilities and calm fundersThe company has already said that subsidiary Steinhoff Africa Retail Ltd will refinance long-term liabilities that are due to the parent company. That’s a step, but total long-term debt is about €10 billion, preference share capital is around R1.5 billion and short-term debt, amounting to €6.2 billion, could “fall over if the business fails,” said Adrian Saville, chief executive officer of Cannon Asset Managers in Johannesburg. More needs to be done than the refinancing by Steinhoff Africa - including sweet-talking the bondholders and bankers who now hold Steinhoff International’s fate in their hands.3. Disclose the details of off-balance-sheet entitiesSteinhoff has not yet disclosed the extent of off-balance-sheet companies and vehicles, or their purpose. “Off-balance-sheet companies were set up to hide losses,” Magda Wierzycka, CEO of Sygnia Asset Management in Cape Town, said on Thursday, adding that “debt was taken on at a massive pace” inside those structures. Murray Dicks, reputation and risk leader for Steinhoff’s auditor, Deloitte & Touche, declined to comment.4. Start bankruptcy-protection talks and suspend the sharesSteinhoff has plummeted more than 75% over two days. By any definition, that’s catastrophic. Steinhoff could initiate bankruptcy-protection talks and move to have its shares suspended. While it may be hard to recover from what could be seen as an admission of defeat, it would give Steinhoff time to ring-fence itself from claims as it tries to shore up its finances.5. Expedite PwC’s investigationSteinhoff said on Wednesday it had approached PricewaterhouseCoopers to investigate the accounting irregularities. No detail was given on when the firm would start its work or how long it might take to produce its findings. Because of the share plunge, Steinhoff can’t wait long. “Allegations of earnings manipulations, uncontrolled acquisition sprees and tax fraud are just the tip of the iceberg,” according to Wierzycka. “Many names are implicated. Many more will follow.”

Five ways Steinhoff could save itself

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Republikein 2025-05-22

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Five ways Steinhoff could save itself

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