Posted By Jessica Weisman-Pitts
Posted on November 27, 2024
By Yadarisa Shabong and Shashwat Awasthi
(Reuters) -Shares in Aston Martin fell as much as 9% to a more than two-year low on Wednesday after the British luxury carmaker warned that annual profit could fall as much as 11% on delivery delays and said it would raise new capital.
The equity raise of about 111 million pounds ($139.77 million) marks the sixth time Aston has raised capital since Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll took over the carmaker by buying a stake exceeding 20% in 2020.
The offering, two-thirds of which would come from strategic shareholders including a subscription of about 50.5 million pounds by Stroll’s Yew Tree, was at a price of 100 pence apiece, a discount of more than 7% to the stock’s last close.
Aston Martin, whose other top shareholders include Geely and Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, has issued multiple profit warnings over the past few years, including one in September after Adrian Hallmark took over as CEO, the third boss under Stroll.
The company’s launch of its new range of core models in the past 18 months was expected to drive growth and cash flow. However, supply chain issues and weakness in China has dragged on its performance.
Aston said late on Tuesday it now expects 2024 adjusted profit ranging from 270 million to 280 million pounds. Analysts had expected adjusted core profit for the year of between 267-300 million pounds, according to a company-compiled poll.
It reported profit of 305.9 million pounds a year earlier.
Several analysts had expected Aston Martin to raise equity after the profit alarm in September. Analysts at Bernstein said last month that a capital raise prompted questions if the company will ever be free cash flow positive without capital injection.
Shares fell as much as 9% to 98 pence in morning trading.
Together with a debt offering of senior secured notes worth 100 million pounds, the company raised about 211 million pounds to help finance its electrification strategy and future investments.
Aston Martin’s new model Valiant was expected to start deliveries by the end of this year, but delivery of just half of them is now expected by the end of December, and the rest by early 2025, the company said.
In February, it said it would delay the launch of its first electric car to 2026.
($1 = 0.7942 pounds)
(Reporting by Shashwat Awasthi; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Bernadette Baum)
