Making sense of the Singapore Airlines rights issue

Singapore Airlines announced that it has obtained shareholder approval to undertake a rights issue, allowing the carrier to raise up to SGD 15 billion using a combination of new ordinary shares and mandatory convertible bonds. Here are a few important things you should take note of.

  • |
  • Published on 11 May 2020

Making sense of the Singapore Airlines rights issue  | Open a FREE FSM account and manage all your investments conveniently in ONE place

SIA will undertake a rights issue, raising SGD 8.8 billion using a combination of new ordinary shares and mandatory convertible bonds (MCB).

Investors who wish to exercise their rights must do so during the exercise period, which is between 13 May 2020 and 28 May 2020. 

For the MCBs, instead of a cash pay-out, bondholders will receive an equivalent amount of SIA shares based on the conversion price when the MCB matures.

For investors who do not wish to exercise their rights, we recommend that they sell them in the secondary market during the designated trading period. 


Overview of the SIA rights issue 

On 30 April 2020, shareholders of Singapore Airlines (SIA) voted in favour of a fundraising package that will would allow the company to raise up to SGD 15 billion through a rights issue. Of the total sum, SIA plans to raise SGD 8.8 billion immediately using a combination of ordinary shares and mandatory convertible bonds (MCB). It also has the option to issue up to SGD 6.2 billion of additional MCB in the future.

The current rights issue of SGD 8.8 billion consists of two separate parts: a rights issue for new ordinary shares and a rights issue for MCB. As such, shareholders who have received the rights will have the option of exercising either one of the rights, both of them or none at all.

Investors will only receive the rights if they are holding SIA shares by the cut-off date of 5 May 2020. Those who qualify for the rights will not be required to pay for them, unless they choose to exercise the rights. The details for both issues can be found in the tables below.


Table 1: Key terms – rights issue for new ordinary shares

Issue Size

Up to approximately SGD 5.3 billion

Issue Price

SGD 3 per rights share

Rights Ratio

3 rights shares for every 2 existing shares

Trading Name

SIA R

Trading Code

LRDR

Source: Company Data, SGX

Data as of 20 Apr 2020


Table 2: Key terms – rights issue for mandatory convertible bonds

Issue Size

Up to approximately SGD 3.5 billion

Issue Price

SGD 1.00 for each SGD 1.00 in principal amount of the rights MCBs

Maturity Date

10th anniversary of the issue date of the rights MCBs

Coupon

Zero coupon

Rights Ratio

295 rights MCBs for every 100 existing shares

Mandatory Conversion

Mandatory conversion at maturity at Final Accreted Principal Amount

Final Accreted Principal Amount

SGD 1.80611 in respect of each SGD 1.00 in principal amount of rights MCBs on the Maturity Date (which is calculated based on a 6% annual yield to conversion, compounded on a semi-annual basis)

Conversion Price

Initially SGD 4.84 (subject to adjustments)

Trading Name

SIA MCB R

Trading Code

GANR

Source: Company Data, SGX

Data as of 20 Apr 2020


Both rights are renounceable, which means that ownership may be transferred. Shareholders who have received the rights but do not wish to exercise them have the option of selling them to other market participants on the secondary market between 13 May 2020 and 21 May 2020. Similarly, investors who wish to buy the rights can also do so during this period.


Important things to note regarding the MCB

Unlike the rights shares, which is pretty straightforward, the structure of the rights MCB is a little more complex. The MCB is a zero coupon bond, meaning investors will not receive interest payments for the entire 10 years. In exchange, they will receive a maturity amount that is higher than the principal amount. At maturity, bondholders will receive SGD 1.80611 for every SGD 1.00 in principal owned.

As the name suggests, the MCB will be converted into ordinary shares upon maturity, which means that instead of cash, bondholders will be paid an equivalent amount of SIA shares based on a conversion price of SGD 4.84 (subject to adjustments by SIA). This works out to be 373 shares per SGD 1,000 invested (SGD 1,806.11 divided by SGD 4.84).

Lastly, the MCB is also callable. This means that SIA has the option of redeeming the bonds early on every semi-annual date. In the event that SIA chooses to redeem the bonds before maturity, bondholders will receive a cash payment depending on the redemption price at that time. 

The redemption price is calculated based on the semi-annual date that the MCBs are redeemed, and the respective yield-to-call per annum ranges from 4-6%, compounded on a semi-annual basis. (Table 3).


Table 3: Redemption schedule of the MCBs

Year

Semi-Annual Date

Redemption Price (%)

Annual Yield-To-Call (%)

1

1st

102.000

4.0

1

2nd

104.040

4.0

2

3rd

106.121

4.0

2

4th

108.243

4.0

3

5th

110.408

4.0

3

6th

112.616

4.0

4

7th

114.869

4.0

4

8th

117.166

4.0

5

9th

124.886

5.0

5

10th

128.008

5.0

6

11th

131.209

5.0

6

12th

134.489

5.0

7

13th

137.851

5.0

7

14th

141.297

5.0

8

15th

155.797

6.0

8

16th

160.471

6.0

9

17th

165.285

6.0

9

18th

170.243

6.0

10

19th

175.351

6.0

Source: Company Data

Data as of 20 Apr 20


Table 4: Timetable of key events for SIA’s rights issue

Date

Key Event

5 May 2020

Last day of “cum-rights” trading of shares

6 May 2020

First date for shares to trade “ex-rights” to the rights issue

8 May 2020

Lodgement of the Offer Information Statement, the product highlights sheet and accompanying application forms with the MAS

8 May 2020

Record Date

13 May 2020

Despatch (where required) of the Offer Information Statement (together with the product highlights sheet, the ARE, the ARS or the PAL, as the case may be) to Entitled Shareholders

13 May 2020

Commencement of trading of Rights

13 May 2020

First date and time for acceptance of and payment for the rights shares, the rights MCBs and/or applications for excess rights shares and/or excess rights MCBs

21 May 2020

Last date and time for splitting and trading of
rights

28 May 2020

Last date and time for acceptance of and payment for rights shares and/or rights MCBs and/or applications for excess rights shares and/or excess rights MCBs

5 June 2020

Expected date of issuance of rights shares and
rights MCBs

8 June 2020

Expected date of commencement of trading of
rights shares

9 June 2020

Expected date of commencement of trading of
rights MCBs

Source: Company Data, SGX

Data as of 20 Apr 2020


Implications for existing shareholders

From 13 May 2020 up till 28 May 2020, investors may exercise the rights. This means paying SGD 3 per rights share or SGD 1 per rights MCB in order to convert the rights into shares/MCB. Those who do should receive the securities on 5 June 2020, and may start trading them beginning 8 June 2020 for the ordinary shares and 9 June 2020 for the MCB. Investors who intend to exercise their rights should look out for further information in the offer information statement.

In the event where investors choose not to exercise their rights, the rights will automatically expire on 28 May 2020. On top of that, investors will likely see some dilution to the value of their shareholdings.


Table 5: Impact of rights issue on SIA’s EPS

Impact of rights issue on SIA’s EPS

Weighted average number of shares (in million)

1,183.3

EPS before rights issue (cents)

57.7

Scenario 1: Impact of the share rights

Weighted average number of shares after rights issue but before conversion of the rights MCBs (in million)

2,961.0

EPS after rights issue but before conversion of the rights MCBs (cents)

23.1

EPS dilution (%)

59.9%

Scenario 2: Impact of the rights MCB

Weighted average number of shares after rights issue assuming conversion of all the rights MCBs (in million)

4,265.6

EPS after rights Issue assuming conversion of all the rights MCBs (cents)

16.0

EPS dilution (%)

72.2%

Scenario 3: Impact of the additional rights MCB

Weighted average number of shares after additional issue assuming conversion of all the additional MCBs (in million)

6,565.3

EPS after additional issue assuming conversion of all the additional MCBs (cents)

10.4

EPS dilution (%)

81.9%

Source: Company Data

Data as of 20 Apr 2020


It is important for investors to know that because of the significantly larger capital base caused by the rights issue, SIA’s earnings per share has declined substantially (net income is spread over a large number of shares).

As such, its share price is unlikely to recover to previous levels even if the company were to beef up its operational performance to pre-COVID levels. For the share price to return to where it was during the company’s heydays, SIA has to generate substantially higher earnings than before.

As mentioned earlier, the rights shares (SIA R) and the rights MCB (SIA MCB R) are both renounceable, which means that ownership may be transferred. SIA R (SGX:LRDR) and SIA MCB R (SGX:GANR) are both tradeable on the SGX just like individual stocks. Investors who do not wish to exercise their rights can sell them off in the secondary market. Conversely, investors who wish to buy more shares or MCBs can buy more rights in the secondary market and exercise them later.

For investors who have no intention of exercising their rights, we strongly recommend that they sell their rights in the secondary market during the designated trading period to generate some income. Please do not let the rights expire worthless.



Declaration:

For specific disclosure, at the time of publication of this report, IFPL (via its connected and associated entities) and the analyst who produced this report hold a NIL position in the abovementioned securities.

All materials and contents found in this site are strictly for general circulation and informational purposes only and should not be considered as an offer, or solicitation, to deal in any of the funds or products found/identified in this site. While iFAST Financial Pte Ltd ("IFPL") has tried to provide accurate and timely information, there may be inadvertent delays, omissions, technical or factual inaccuracies and typographical errors. Any opinion or estimate contained in this report is made on a general basis and neither IFPL nor any of its servants or agents have given any consideration to nor have they or any of them made any investigation of the investment objective, financial situation or particular need of any user or reader, any specific person or group of persons. You should consider carefully if the products you are going to purchase are suitable for your investment objective, investment experience, risk tolerance and other personal circumstances. If you are uncertain about the suitability of the investment product, please seek advice from a financial adviser, before making a decision to purchase the investment product. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. The value of the investment products and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice. In respect of any matters arising from, or in connection with the said research analyses or research reports, recipients of the report are to contact IFPL at 10 Collyer Quay, #26-01 Ocean Financial Centre Building, Singapore 049315, or by telephone at +65 6557 2853. Where the report contains research analyses or research reports from a foreign research house and if the recipient of such research analyses or research reports is not an accredited investor, expert investor, institutional investor or an ex-accredited investor, IFPL accepts legal responsibility for the contents of such analyses or reports to such persons only to the extent as required by law. Please note that only certain security(ies) herein are available to all investors, while the rest are only available for certain persons to invest in, such as Accredited Investors (as defined in the Securities and Futures Act) or one who invests at least S$200,000 (or its equivalent currency) per transaction. To qualify as an Accredited Investor, one needs to submit a declaration form and certain relevant supporting documents, according to iFAST’s prevailing policies and procedures.

Please read our full disclaimers on the website at ( https://secure.fundsupermart.com/fsmone/policies/328125/investment-account-terms-&-conditions).

iFAST Financial Pte Ltd (IFPL) (registered address: 10 Collyer Quay #26-01 Ocean Financial Centre Singapore 049315, Telephone: 6557 2000) holds the Financial Advisers Licence issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore ('MAS') to conduct regulated activities of advising on securities, marketing of collective investment schemes and arranging of any contract of insurance in respect of life policies, other than a contract of reinsurance and the Capital Markets Services Licence issued by the MAS to conduct regulated activities of dealing in securities and providing custodial services for securities. While IFPL has made every effort to ensure the independence of the report's contents, IFPL's nature of business is such that IFPL and its connected and associated entities together with their respective directors, officers and staff may be involved in providing dealing or investment-related services in the abovementioned securities, and have taken or may take positions in the securities mentioned in this report, and may also act as the principal for any buy or sell trades.

Ways to Invest with FSM Global
Why FSM Global
Don't have an account with us?
Open an account here
Need Financial Advice?
Make an appointment

We use cookies If you close this message or continue to use this site, you will consent to the use of Cookies, unless you choose to disable them. Click on our Privacy Policy to understand more.