When we started discussing the upcoming onslaught of corporate defaults in "Minsky Moment" China, now that the bankruptcy seal has been broken, we warned that the worst is about to come.
[10]
Well, it's coming.
Overnight, Hong Kong's The Standard reported [11]that in addition to the solar, coal and real-estate developer companies that are on everyone's radar as potential future bankruptcy candidates, one can also add steel makers to the list, with its report that Highsee Group, the largest private steel makers in Shanxi province has defaulted on CNY3 billion of debt, unable to repay its bonds on time.
According to The Standard, "Highsee Group's 3 billion yuan debt was overdue last week," the 21st Century Business Herald reported yesterday. "The company is running in red, and has failed to pay workers for months. Many of its furnaces have stopped operating."
The reason for this most recent collapse: the plunge of domestic steel prices , which have fallen to their lowest level in more than eight years in mid-March as a result of weak demand and a surge in output.
Earlier, Shanxi coal miner Liansheng Resources Group went bankrupt while its loans, which were packaged into a wealth management product distributed by China Construction Bank (0939), are likely to be bailed out. UBS Securities securities analyst Chen Li said it is the peak season for corporate debt dues. Up to 80 percent of the nation's trusts have obligations to meet within the second quarter, he added.
IBT adds [12]that "Highsee Iron and Steel Group ... is just one of numerous steel mills facing issues in the country. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics revealed that China produced 2.22 million tonnes of crude steel a day over the first two months of 2014, Reuters reports. This record amount was manufactured even though demand wasn’t as strong."
It remains to be seen if Highsee is bailed out, however now that pretty much any corporation with exposure to the commodity and real estate space that has maturing debt is on the rocks, the PBOC may be better suited just to let the system cleanse itself, even if that means the collapse in both the Chinese stock market, which unlike the US is largely irrelevant (especially since it once again dropped below 2000 while the Hang Seng entered a bear market), but the bigger issue is that the Chinese housing bubble is set to burst both domestically and abroad, as we reported yesterday. [13]
And lest readers are left with the impression that merely operational companies with direct exposure to the deleveraging carnage that is taking place in China - at least until such time as China unleashes another multi-trillion stimulus - are exposed, also overnight financial firm Southchina Futures announced it is terminating it business on "major operation risks." [14]
From the company's website [14]:
About South China Futures Brokerage Co. closure announcement
As the Company has significant business risks, some of the bank account was frozen Guizhou Court of Justice, in order to protect the legitimate rights and interests of investors, the company passed a resolution to stop the shareholders' meeting brokerage business futures, now specific announcement is as follows:
First, the announcement issued by the date, the South China Futures Brokerage Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "the South China Futures") is no longer accepting new customers open positions instructions.
Second, within five working days of the date of this announcement, make customers to handle the South China Futures cancellation procedures.
Third, the five working days after the publication of the notice, did not apply for cancellation procedures futures customer account funds will be transferred to the unified Huatai Great Wall Futures Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Huatai Great Wall Futures").
Fourth, since the date of this announcement within ten working days from customers willing to open an account at Huatai Great Wall Futures, futures and South China Huatai Great Wall Futures will jointly provide customers with convenient handle channel, during the South China Huatai Great Wall Futures futures and customer acceptance , Tel: South Futures, (020) 38791617 ; Huatai Great Wall Futures, 4006280888.
Notice is hereby given.
Dropping like flies now.
We wonder how long until the US stock market, floating in its cloud of manipulated, centrally-planned oblivious innocence, realizes that a China on the verge of all out deflationary recession is not a good thing?