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Airasia's cash injection: Anything positive? - felicity

Tan KW
Publish date: Sun, 03 Apr 2016, 09:03 AM
Tan KW
0 435,692
Good.

Saturday, April 2, 2016 

 
 
Plenty. It surprises me as people were talking about the founders having financial trouble so much so that it affects Airasia. Now they are pumping in RM1 billion - just to prove their commitment towards its cause. I have mentioned many times, Airasia is a growing company. Many puts it as being in a mature market. NOT RIGHT.

It needs more money. And it is not that the company is in financial difficulties. One can read many articles to proof that but do not read into rumors. The company is generating positive operating cashflow but quite a number, especially now. However, it may not be able to generate free cashflow due to the investments it needs to make.

The problem for Airasia is Asia. Asia is a fast growing market for low costs, so much so that the owner for Vietjet can be one of the richest in Vietnam. Airasia does not produce cashflow fast enough for it to not further raise funds.

I have written several articles on Wellington and EPF sales. They were selling between its price of around RM1.30 to RM1.60. If one is to just follow the funds actions, we would be following the sale ourselves. Now, the question is with EPF selling most of their stocks at around RM1.50 and now both the founders buying at RM1.80, who would you trust most? The quantum itself is huge. It is not that both Tony and Kamaruddin are buying 2% of Airasia. It is 16.7%.

Now, the only thing I have qualms about is that they are buying cheap - not too cheap but we expect them to buy cheap - although this can be a contentious debate. Remember, the founders are not expected to buy at above market value. The fact that they decide to buy at RM1.84, in my mind, means that the founders must have thought, it could go much higher. Things are going well for airlines. Oil price are low and seems to be continuously low, Ringgit seems to be improving which is good time for Airasia to buy more planes, MAS is pulling back allowing Airasia to take up position as the largest Malaysian airline and one of Airasia's biggest market - China, with its people having huge appetite to travel.

The other thing I like about this deal is that they do not do a private placement at discount to market price and to third parties whom we do not know about (sometimes to friendly parties or can be proxies). The placement price is close to its closing price before suspension and openly to the founders. This is transparency and allows me to appreciate at how Airasia treats its minority shareholders. They are doing the right thing.

With that, I just hope that the lost of confidence over Airasia will stop and it is time for a Malaysian company to grow aggressively regional and be the finest low costs airline in Asia.
 

 

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5 people like this. Showing 6 of 6 comments

Icon8888

if I am allowed to press Like 100 times, I will do it

2016-04-03 09:59

fayeTan

Onlyone simole quesition .. Why not rights issue in which minority shareholder will be given opportunity to participate in the company growth.?

2016-04-03 13:07

stockraider

Tony attitude is himself and pride.

If rights issue....it is like a failure for him bcos the earlier fund raising has failed mah....!!

2016-04-03 13:16

Ezra_Investor

No point rights issue. The problem with AirAsia is that many has lost confidence. So RI will be undersubscribed.
Plus this case, it's like PP, only that it's above or at market price. PP you can say it's unfair to the shareholders. But in this case, no.
It's a clear indication of Tony's commitment and to protect shareholders' interest.

2016-04-03 13:35

Ezra_Investor

To be honest, AirAsia's biggest asset is actually Tony himself. Much like Richard Branson to his airline company.

2016-04-03 13:36

ahjib88

It depend on how EPF and Wellington react on this news.
If this 2 not happy, price can drop to RM1.5.

2016-04-03 14:08

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