Star Entertainment hits record low on equity raising plans

Star Entertainment hits record low on equity raising plans

Article brief provided by Reuters
  • Rishav Chatterjee, Reuters
September 27, 2023 3:42 PM
  • Rishav Chatterjee, Reuters

Shares of Australia’s Star Entertainment Group (SGR.AX) touched a record low on Wednesday, as they resumed trading after the casino operator announced its plans to raise A$750 million($480.23 million) to undergo a capital restructuring.

The cash-strapped company said on Monday it would raise capital at 60 Australian cents per share, a 20% discount to the stock’s closing price last Friday.

Star Entertainment shares, which were on a trading halt since Monday, fell as much as 19.7% to an all-time low of A$0.603 as of 0212 GMT.

“Star is a textbook example of how not to run a casino,” said Tony Sycamore, markets analyst at IG Australia.

“The destruction of shareholder wealth in a business which should be profitable in all weather conditions is simply jaw dropping.”