(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Bank of America Corp has told investment bankers to stop working on transactions with HNA Group Co for now amid growing concerns about the acquisitive Chinese conglomerate's debt levels and ownership structure, according to people familiar with the matter.
The US investment bank joins other Wall Street firms, including Citigroup Inc and Morgan Stanley, that are largely steering clear of advising and financing the group on deals because they are unable to get internal approvals from 'know your customer committees, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.
Senior officials at Bank of America's Merrill Lynch unit communicated internally last month that bankers shouldn't currently pitch for new acquisitions and fundraisings, the people said. Scrutiny of Chinese companies came into focus this week after people familiar with the matter said that China plans to cut off some funding for billionaire Wang Jianlin's Dalian Wanda Group Co, concluding the conglomerate breached restrictions for overseas investments.
An internal memo at Bank of America on holding off on deals with HNA for now went to fewer than five bankers who would be in a position to solicit business from the Chinese company, another person familiar with the matter said. The New York Times reported earlier that Bank of America had said in an internal e-mail that it had decided to remove itself from transactions with HNA.
Bank of America had advised HNA on several attempted overseas acquisitions in the past few years, people said. The decision has affected deals the firm was working on for HNA, including the planned Singapore IPO of HNA Commercial REIT, two of the people said. Banks regularly reassess their comfort with potential clients, and their stance toward HNA could change, they said.
HNA hasn't done significant fee-paying business with Bank of America in recent months, one person with knowledge of the company said.
Citigroup's and Morgan Stanley's internal committees have also struggled to get sufficient clarity on the source of funds and ownership structures at HNA, leading those banks to avoid deals for some time, the people said. Still, some firms that shy away from the parent company are willing to do business with HNA units. Morgan Stanley was one of the banks that committed to a total $8.5bn in financing for Avolon, a business owned by one of HNA's listed arms, in its purchase of CIT Group Inc's airline leasing business last year.
'HNA Group partners actively with many global investment banks and continues to do so, the conglomerate said in an emailed statement. 'We carefully select our financial advisers and financing sources on each transaction, based on specific capabilities and expertise, consistent with our commitment to global best practices.
Representatives for Bank of America, Citigroup and Morgan Stanley declined to comment.
Support from Western banks has helped fuel a debt-backed buying spree by HNA, as it expanded from its home base on China's sunny Hainan island to add logistics, hotel and financial assets around the globe, including a $6.5bn deal to buy a stake in Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc announced last year. Chinese regulators have begun assessing local banks' loan exposure to HNA and are examining examples of acquisitions gone awry, people with knowledge of the matter have said.
HNA Group International Co's 2018 bonds fell to a record low on Thursday.
Still, banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co and UBS Group AG have financed and advised on large HNA deals this year, notably the Hilton stake and the firm's acquisition of a 10% stake in German lender Deutsche Bank AG.
Even UBS, which has historically helped HNA on multiple transactions, has started monitoring the conglomerate's debt levels more closely, separate people said. The Swiss bank is increasingly concerned that the Chinese company would struggle in the short term to complete large acquisitions, according to one of the people. UBS continues to do business with HNA, though its internal risk and compliance teams have begun asking more questions about dealings with the Chinese firm, another person said.
UBS advised HNA on its $1.5bn acquisition of Gategroup Holding AG, which completed this year. The Swiss lender has been one of the most active bankers for HNA, advising the firm on almost $15bn of aviation-related acquisitions since 2015, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. It also provided collar financing to help the conglomerate increase its stake in Deutsche Bank, people familiar with the matter said in May. A spokesman for UBS declined to comment.
The pushback comes as HNA has been working to raise its profile in the West, hosting the French Open tennis tournament this year, a first for the firm. Executives including executive chairman Li Xianhua and chief executive officer Adam Tan kicked off with a gala celebration in Le Petit Palais in Paris that included politicians, bankers and celebrity chef Joel Robuchon.
HNA has recently told bankers it plans to slow the pace of its overseas dealmaking, according to one of the people with knowledge of the matter. The move comes as acquisitive Chinese companies are under increasing scrutiny at home.
The China Banking Regulatory Commission asked some banks to provide information on overseas loans made to Dalian Wanda, Anbang Insurance Group Co, HNA, Fosun International Ltd and the Chinese owner of Italian soccer team AC Milan, people familiar with the matter said in June.
China is working to cut capital outflows that may be heaping pressure on the value of the yuan, and late last year moved to temporarily restrict the largest deals valued at $10bn or more, people familiar with the matter said at the time.
Chinese buyers have agreed to spend $94.4bn on overseas deals so far this year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That's down 37% from the same period in 2016.
HNA's ownership is difficult to decipher as the group is held together through scores of companies mostly unlisted entities with little available public information holding stakes in each other. Atop the hierarchy is a person named Guan Jun, according to Chinese corporate filings.
Little is known about Guan. HNA plays down his role, with CEO Adam Tan saying he's just a Chinese businessman and Chairman Chen Feng telling the South China Morning Post newspaper that Guan isn't a significant shareholder as he only owns a 'tiny stake. Yet Guan owns the equivalent of a 29% stake in the group, more than any of HNA's executives including Chen and Tan's stakes combined, the filings show.
HNA's ownership has also been under attack from Guo Wengui, a fugitive Chinese tycoon who's been alleging HNA has secret ties to powerful Communist Party officials claims denied by the company. Guo is facing defamation lawsuits from HNA and others over his various claims.
Its governance has drawn questions from the likes of the New York Times, which on Wednesday reported that HNA has been doing business deals with family and friends of its top executives in the past quarter century, with limited disclosure to investors. In response to the article, HNA said its related- party transactions are reviewed and documented on terms consistent with appropriate standards.
HNA's financing practices have also stood out. Its latest annual report says the company is saddled with $73bn of debt, which would the second-highest debt level for a non-financial Corp in China if HNA were to be listed, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. What's more, HNA filings show HNA and its units have pledged at least $24bn of shares across 15 publicly traded firms to finance its acquisitions, signalling a pattern of reliance on pledged assets that's triggered concerns from credit-rating agencies and analysts. HNA has said it has consulted financial advisers on all its pledge transactions.
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