On December 6, Masan Group Corporation made an announcement regarding an increased equity investment from Bain Capital into Masan Group, raising the amount from the previously stated $200 million to $250 million. The terms of the transaction remain consistent with the initial agreement reached in October, and the additional funds are earmarked to fortify the company’s financial standing and reduce Masan’s debt burden.
Despite recent fluctuations in the market, the augmented investment from Bain Capital serves as a robust affirmation of Masan’s enduring strategy and short-term prospects. This endorsement is particularly noteworthy in light of Masan’s impressive performance in the third quarter of the year. The collective earnings before interest and taxes of Masan’s consumer-retail entities, including Masan Consumer Holdings, WinCommerce, Masan MEATLife, and Phuc Long Heritage, surged by 45.5% and 47.3% year-on-year in the first nine months and the third quarter of 2023, respectively.
The company’s free cash flow demonstrated consistent improvement, reaching VND2.2 trillion ($90.6 million) in the third quarter compared to VND125 billion ($5.15 million) in the same period of 2022, primarily attributed to enhanced working capital management.
In the third quarter, the fast-moving consumer goods markets experienced only 6% year-on-year growth in four key Vietnamese cities and 7% in rural areas, according to Kantar Worldpanel. However, Masan Consumer Holdings achieved a 9% year-on-year revenue growth and a 20% year-on-year growth in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) on a like-for-like basis. The management anticipates the continued double-digit growth of Masan Consumer Holdings’ operating profit in the fourth quarter.
Following innovations and efficiency enhancements, WinCommerce demonstrated improvements in daily store revenue in November, with on-year like-for-like growth approaching positive results after a 10% decline in the first quarter. The positive momentum gives management confidence in achieving positive like-for-like growth in December, bolstering WinCommerce’s overall profitability.
The transaction involves an equity investment in the form of Convertible Dividend Preference Shares (CDPS), to be issued at a price of VND85,000 ($3.50) per share, convertible into ordinary shares at a 1:1 ratio. The CDPS carries no preference dividend for the first five years, followed by a 10% preference dividend from the sixth anniversary onwards. On the tenth anniversary, the outstanding CDPS will be mandatorily converted into ordinary Masan Group shares.
Importantly, there are no hedging structures or stock borrowings of MSN shares associated with this equity investment that would necessitate the sale of MSN shares on the open market at the date of issuance. Bain Capital’s interests align fully with current MSN shareholders.
The transaction is anticipated to conclude in the coming months, and Masan remains committed to exploring additional strategic options for equity capital, including potential dilution of its interest in non-core businesses to enhance liquidity and achieve a sustainable net debt to EBITDA ratio below 3.5x on a steady-state basis.