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Metrovacesa Approves Capitalisation Of €751M Loan

29 April 2015 – Expansión

The real estate company Metrovacesa, owned by Santander, BBVA, Sabadell and Popular, received the green light from its shareholders yesterday to convert a €751 million loan granted by three of its owner banks into equity.

Santander, the primary shareholder in Metrovacesa, which holds a 55.89% stake after it took over Bankia’s shareholding; BBVA, which owns 18.3%; and Sabadell, which owns 13.04%, granted a loan to the real estate company for €751 million in January. Now, the three banks have converted the refinanced loan into shares through this increase. Thanks to this transaction and the sale of its stake in Gecina, Metrovacesa has reduced its debt to €2,409 million, compared with the balance of more than €5,000 million that it accumulated last year.

In parallel to this transaction, a further increase has been agreed, through monetary contributions and pre-emptive subscription rights, for €0.9 million, aimed at minority shareholders.

At their meeting, the shareholders also approved the appointment of four new directors, which means that the management body will comprise 11 members. The new appointments include Rodrigo Echenique, Abel Matutes and Juan Ignacio Ruiz de Alda, representing Banco Santander and Manuel Castro, from BBVA.

Metrovacesa also approved its accounts for 2014. The real estate company reduced its losses by 50% taking its consolidated loss to €186 million compared to €349 million in 2013, according to sources close to the company. Meanwhile, the parent company recorded a loss of €21.6 million.

Original story: Expansión (by Rocío Ruiz)

Translation: Carmel Drake