#Highlight* LBS Bina to seal China deal soon Written by Kamarul Anwar of theedgemalaysia.com Mon Apr 08 2013 9:07:25 AM KUALA LUMPUR: LBS Bina Group Bhd’s long drawnout negotiations to dispose of its tract in Zhuhai, southern China, to Hong Kong-listed entity Zhuhai Holdings Investment Group Ltd may be finally reaching an agreement.
“Both parties are rushing to complete the deal as the memorandum of understanding (MoU) will lapse on April 17. Currently, it is in the documentation stages and both are very close to signing the [sale and purchase] deal,” said a source familiar with the matter.
LBS Bina has taken a year to conclude the divestment after the signing of the MoU, according to the source, as the settlement of the proceeds involves issue of shares in Zhuhai Holdings plus promissory notes and cash.
Zhuhai Holdings’ share price closed at HK$1.18 (46 sen) last Friday with a market capitalisation of HK$1.32 billion. Should the land sale materialise, LBS Bina could reap over RM600 million based on an indicative price of about HK$1.65 billion.
Some analysts concur that it would be a value enhancing deal for LBS Bina given that the value of the 197 acres (78.8ha) is worth more than the company’s current market capitalisation of RM392.7 million as at last Friday.
Having a local partner on board would help kickstart the development, which has been delayed for years, said a dealer, and LBS Bina would be able to benefit from it by holding an equity interest in Zhuhai Holdings.
However, according to analysts, they hold a cautious stance until an official announcement is made to Bursa Malaysia because LBS Bina has taken too long to conclude the land sale.
The company has been in talks with Zhuhai Holdings, formerly known as Jiuzhou Development Co Ltd, since early 2010. LBS Bina entered into an MoU with Jiuzhou Technology Co Ltd, a wholly owned unit of Zhuhai Holdings, in April 2012. Zhuhai Holdings is a Chinese state-owned entity that operates ferry services and a hotel chain in China.
The MoU was an expression of Jiuzhou Technology’s intention to buy up to 100% but not less than 60% stake in Dragon Hill Corp Ltd, a wholly owned unit of LBS Bina.
Dragon Hill has a 60% equity interest in a 36-hole golf course and 197 acres of developable land in Zhuhai. The MoU, which originally expired last October, was extended by six months for due diligence.
On its local businesses, LBS Bina has set a sales target of RM1 billion this year, after surpassing RM800 million in 2012. The group’s sales figure will be buttressed on its unbilled sales, which amounted to RM745 million as at last December.
The property developer’s launches this year and ongoing developments comprise about 5,600 property units worth a total gross development value of RM3 billion.
LBS Bina’s share price spiked up to nearly a five-year high of RM1.03 last Friday, gaining 22.6% year to date.
The Lim family, who founded LBS Bina, has been acquiring shares on the open market in recent months. Its investment vehicle Intelrich Sdn Bhd raised its stake to 50.69% as at March 1 from 48.2% last May.
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