PSUs face credit risks form share buybacks: S&P

30 Jan 2019 Evaluate

S&P Global Ratings has warned that corporate activities which are designed to support the Indian government's budgetary coffers-- such as share buyback -- by public sector undertakings (PSUs) are 'credit negative' for such entities. In the previous three months, 10 PSUs have announced or executed buybacks for a cumulative amount of Rs 15,000 crore, which will count towards the Centre’s disinvestment target of Rs 80,000 crore for 2019-20.

The US-based rating agency has stated that the impact on the respective companies can vary depending on the size of cash outflow. It also noted that extracting cash from state-owned enterprises (SOEs) decreases their financial flexibility in a stress scenario, which -- at least over the short term -- is credit negative at the firm level. It said while extraction of existing excess capital in the form of dividends generally has an impact only on the short-term business of SOEs as dividends are discretionary and can be scaled back if future profitability is low.

S&P further said 'in contrast, we believe that debt-funded share buybacks, mergers or acquisitions have longer-term implications. Further, reduced government linkages to divested firms may lower the likelihood of government support in a stress scenario.' It noted that the share buybacks announced so far, including the Rs 4,000-crore offering at Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) are manageable within the credit profiles of respective PSUs. However, it said that the risk of a large and disruptive payout increases as the government runs out of time on its SOE stake sale target for the financial year.

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