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SoftBank Reaps $33 Billion Coupang Windfall

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SoftBank Group Corp on Thursday racked up a roughly $33 billion gain on paper through the public market debut of South Korea’s largest e-commerce company, Coupang Inc, the latest sign of a dramatic turnaround for its $100 billion Vision Fund.

Shares of Coupang opened 81% above their offer price on Thursday, after the company raised $4.6 billion in the U.S. stock market’s biggest initial public offering this year.

SoftBank paid around $3 billion for a 37% stake in the company, according to sources familiar with earlier fund-raising, giving it a roughly $33 billion headline profit if prices hold.

Coupang’s hugely successful stock market launch is welcome news for SoftBank, which is grappling with the collapse of billions of dollars worth of funds linked to Britain’s Greensill Capital, a supply chain finance start-up.

Vision Fund is Greensill’s biggest backer.

The Japanese conglomerate last month reported third-quarter net profit ballooned more than 20 times thanks to a recovery at the Vision Fund, a huge venture capital operation famous for investing early in Uber and other tech industry startup successes.

Only a year ago, SoftBank had been smarting from the flopped IPO and collapse in value of office sharing firm WeWork, raising questions over whether Chief Executive Officer Masayoshi Son had lost his midas touch and threatening plans to establish a successor to Vision.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also forced Son to sell assets but a second deal reported by Reuters on Thursday bodes well for VF II, a second, smaller fund.

The $225 million late-stage funding round for healthcare startup Forward Health was its first major investment this year, following a pickup in activity and the group’s fortunes in the second half of 2020.

The Vision Fund also made $11 billion on a blockbuster market launch of DoorDash Inc in December, which valued the food delivery company at more than $70 billion.

It also made gains on home seller Opendoor Technologies Inc’s initial offering in December.

The fund still holds large stakes in China’s biggest ride-hailing firm Didi, as well as Uber’s Southeast Asian rival Grab.

SoftBank is also trying to ride the mania for special purpose acquisition companies, launching a handful of blank-check firms this year, although none of them have found investment targets yet.

Investment

Saudi Arabia Aims for $80 Billion Tourism Investment to Fuel Vision 2030 Goals

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Saudi Arabia is embarking on a bold venture to attract up to $80 billion in private investment into its burgeoning tourism industry, a move pivotal to realizing its ambitious Vision 2030 objectives.

Tourism Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb unveiled the kingdom’s aspiration during an interview in Riyadh, emphasizing the imperative role of the private sector in spearheading investment endeavors.

With plans to disburse approximately $800 billion on tourism over the next decade, Saudi Arabia is steadfast in its pursuit to diversify its economy and reduce dependency on oil revenues.

Vision 2030 outlines a trajectory for the kingdom to metamorphose into one of the world’s premier tourist destinations, targeting 150 million annual visitors by 2030, a significant portion originating from overseas.

While the government and sovereign wealth fund have historically fueled tourism development, securing substantial foreign direct investment, particularly from the private sector, emerges as paramount in expediting Vision 2030 initiatives.

The kingdom’s fiscal projections, forecasting deficits until 2026, underscore the urgency of engaging private investors to actualize the ambitious tourism blueprint.

Saudi Arabia, having welcomed 100 million tourists in 2023, predominantly domestic travelers, eyes international markets such as India, China, the UK, France, and Germany for tourist influx.

A new program launched by the Ministry of Tourism aims to streamline investment processes, potentially unlocking $11 billion in private investment, bolstering Saudi Arabia’s tourism trajectory and reshaping its economic landscape.

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CBN Unveils Plan to Settle N1.64 Trillion Treasury Bills in Q2 2024

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FG Borrows

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced its strategic approach to managing liquidity and meeting financial obligations by unveiling a comprehensive plan to settle Treasury Bills (TBs) worth N1.64 trillion during the second quarter of 2024.

This initiative, part of the CBN’s Nigeria Treasury Bills Issue programme, aims to regulate the money supply within the economy while effectively managing liquidity dynamics.

According to documents obtained by Investors King, the TBs settlement program is slated to commence on March 7th and conclude on May 23rd, 2024.

The CBN will focus on settling TBs with varying tenors, including N414.29 billion on 91 days, N43.74 billion on 182 days, and a substantial N1.18 trillion on 364 days.

The breakdown of the settlement plan reveals monthly settlements to address maturing TBs. In March, the CBN plans to settle N660.62 billion worth of TBs, followed by N292.17 billion in April and N688.3 billion in May.

Market analysts interpret this move as a testament to the CBN’s commitment to managing financial obligations and maintaining economic stability.

It provides investors with opportunities to engage in short-term financial instruments while contributing to overall liquidity dynamics.

The strategic settlement plan reflects the CBN’s proactive stance in navigating economic challenges and ensuring stability within the financial landscape.

As the apex bank implements these measures, stakeholders will closely monitor their impact on market dynamics and economic indicators, anticipating implications for investment decisions and monetary policy outlooks.

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China’s State-Owned Lenders Allocate $8 Billion to Revitalize Property Market

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General Images Of Residential Property

China’s state-owned lenders have committed a substantial $8 billion in loans to rejuvenate the country’s beleaguered property market, aligning with Beijing’s directives to bolster the sector.

Agricultural Bank of China Ltd. disclosed approving over 40 billion yuan of loans for real estate projects on predefined white lists, signaling a proactive approach towards supporting the housing market’s recovery.

China Construction Bank Corp. also joined the effort, extending 3 billion yuan to five property projects, with plans to greenlight over 20 billion yuan in loans soon.

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd. and Bank of China Ltd. are among the institutions offering financing assistance, although the exact loan amounts remain undisclosed.

This initiative follows Beijing’s recent call for local authorities to enhance financing support for developers and curate lists of eligible projects.

In response, the big four state lenders pledged to meet reasonable financing demands from developers and projects identified under the coordination mechanism.

However, China’s property market faces challenges despite these measures. New home sales plummeted 34.2% year-on-year, underscoring the ongoing slowdown.

While existing home transactions surged during the Spring Festival holiday, new home sales remained subdued, prompting a cautious outlook among buyers.

The infusion of $8 billion aims to instill confidence and stimulate activity in the property sector, potentially heralding a gradual recovery amid persisting market uncertainties.

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