INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
MUMBAI: Shares of travel and tour company Cox - Kings could extend its losing spree as investors have been spooked by the company's default
on payment of commercial papers
The stock ended at the 10% lower circuit at Rs 36.45 on Friday – a record low for the stock.
Cox - Kings on Thursday said it has defaulted
on payment of commercial papers due to cash flow mismatch and a situation exacerbated by rating downgrade.
The company said it would meet
its financial obligations “through a combination of internal accruals and monetisation of assets”.
The company was required to pay Rs
200 crore, however, it was able to pay only Rs 50 crore and defaulted on Rs 150 crore.
On Wednesday, Brickwork Ratings downgraded the rating
of the company’s NCDs of Rs 50 crore from BWR AA to BWR AA- with a stable outlook
It, however, retained its rating on the commercial paper of the company as BWR A1+.
“The company has cash on books of around Rs 1,800
crore but it is a net debt company along with high receivables in addition
It has a potential of falling more than 50% from here, and I don't see a revival,” said Sameer Kalra, Founder, Target Investing
“With the liquidity squeeze, the chances for Cox - Kings to raise money to meet future liabilities is very low," said Kalra
So far this year, shares of Cox - Kings have fallen 78%.
Experts said there is panic among investors around the liquidity crisis, which
leads to a sharp fall in stocks on any default news.