Macau Legend sees narrowed losses in H1 amid loan covenant breaches

Jenny Ortiz September 3, 2024

SiGMA news

Macau Legend sees narrowed losses in H1 amid loan covenant breaches

Macau Legend Development Ltd. has reported an improvement in its financial performance for the first half of 2024. The company’s net loss for this period stood at approximately HKD109.9 million (€12.7 million), a reduction of over 39 percent compared to the HKD182.5 million (€21.1 million) loss reported during the same period last year.

The firm’s revenue also saw an uptick, increasing by 16.5 percent year-on-year to reach HKD390.4 million (€45.3 million), driven primarily by a 43 percent rise in gaming-related revenue, which contributed HKD208.5 million (€24.2 million) to the total.

Macau Legend, known for managing the Legend Palace Casino at the Macau Fisherman’s Wharf, experienced a substantial rise in its adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation, and amortization), which reached HKD85.3 million (€9.9 million). This marks an increase from the HKD52.2 million (€6 million) recorded in the first half of 2023. Despite this growth, non-gaming revenue showed a slight decline of 4.2 percent, totalling HKD181.9 million (€21 million) for the period.

Disposal of Laos operations and impact

Earlier this year, Macau Legend completed the sale of its interests in the Savan Legend, a casino resort in Laos, to a Japanese investor. This strategic move was part of the company’s plan to consolidate its resources and focus on its core operations in Macau. While the sales generated a profit of HKD75.0 million (€8.7 million), it also triggered complications related to loan covenants.

The company’s filing indicated that the completion of the disposal affected certain loan agreements, leading to breaches of covenants tied to the disposal proceeds.

Loan covenant breaches and financial obligations

As of June 2024, Macau Legend’s liabilities were substantial, with total borrowings amounting to around HKD2.41 billion (€279.5 million), primarily due for repayment within the next year. The disposal of the Laos operations led to a failure to comply with specific loan covenants, resulting in approximately HKD1.898 billion (€220 million) being reclassified as current liabilities. The reclassification means that the total bank loans of HKD2.07 billion (€240 million) could be demanded for immediate repayment by the banks. Despite these challenges, no demands for immediate repayment have been made by creditors so far.

The company is currently engaged in discussions with its lenders to find a resolution for the loan covenant breaches and to negotiate an extension for the repayment of an HKD135 million (€15.7 million) loan instalment due in September 2024. However, the firm has acknowledged its limited financial resources to meet these obligations and expressed concerns about its ability to continue operating as a going concern without additional financial support or a favourable restructuring of its debts. As of the end of June 2024, Macau Legend held HKD65.1 million (€7.55 million) in cash and cash equivalents, highlighting the need for effective financial management to navigate the challenging circumstances ahead.

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