Evergrande is making headlines again after telling the market that it may run out of money.
The Chinese real estate developer has said that there was no guarantee that it would have enough funds to meet debt repayments.
In an announcement on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Evergrande said that since September 2021, it has been reviewing its capital structure and liquidity condition with the help of its financial and legal advisors, evaluating all available strategic options and maintaining ongoing dialogue with offshore creditors.
Here is what the company said about potentially not having enough cash:
In light of the current liquidity status of the Group, there is no guarantee that the Group will have sufficient funds to continue to perform its financial obligations. The Group is taking a comprehensive view in assessing its overall financial condition, considering the interests of all stakeholders, upholding the principles of fairness and legality, and plans to actively engage with offshore creditors to formulate a viable restructuring plan of the company's offshore indebtedness for the benefit of all stakeholders.
Why did it make this announcement? It's because the company has received a demand to "perform its obligations" under a guarantee for the amount of approximately US$260 million.
If Evergrande is unable to meet its guarantee obligations or certain other financial obligations, it "may lead to creditors demanding acceleration of repayment".
Time will tell whether Evergrande is able to get through this latest problem.
What are the authorities doing about it?
According to reporting by Reuters, China's Guangdong province has summoned the chair of Evergrande, Hui Ka Yan. Guangdong province is where Evergrande is based.
The local government said that it would send people to the company to "oversee risk management, strengthen internal controls and maintain normal operations."
It was also reported that China's central bank, banking and insurance regulator and its securities regulator sought to reassure the market with statements.
The People's Bank of China said:
Evergrande's problem was mainly caused by its own mismanagement and break-neck expansion.
The People's Bank also said that short-term risks caused by a single real estate firm will not undermine market fundraising in the medium and long term and supposedly housing sales, land purchases and financing "have already returned to normal in China."
Reuters reported the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) said the Evergrande issue would not affect the industry's normal operations and it would increase support for guaranteed rental housing. The Commission said that it believed domestic and overseas regulators would deal with Evergrande-related issues fairly.
Finally, the news agency said that the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) said any fallout for the capital market was "controllable" and it would maintain support for property developers' funding needs.
What does this mean for ASX shares?
Evergrande is one of the biggest real estate developers in China, but it's currently dealing with debts of more than US$300 billion. For Australia, Evergrande is a big user of steel and therefore Australian iron. If the company went under it could cause volatility.
The market will get a chance to react to this news with the share prices of ASX iron ore miners like BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO).
The London-listed BHP share price dropped 2.75% on Friday, so the ASX version of BHP may or may not follow on from that.
