Small-cap Chinese real estate developer SRE Group has raised approximately $130 million from a combined sale of Hong Kong-listed shares and convertible bonds. The deal, which was completed on Monday night, is part of a broader balance sheet restructuring that also includes a buyback tender for the company's outstanding high-yield bonds and a relaxation of the covenants on those same bonds. The money raised on Monday will be used to pay for the buyback.
A restructuring was necessary since the 8.625% bonds due 2013 were restricting the company from taking advantage of the tentative pick-up in the China property market, but SRE didn't have the cash to buy back the bonds. The...