2discrepancies between the prices we have paid for our investments (or received in shorting asecurity) and fair value.Below we have summarized General Growth Properties Inc. (“GGP”) and Target, two of lastquarter’s most significant contributors to fund performance:
General Growth Properties Inc.
GGP was the largest contributor to fund performance during the quarter, and has continued toappreciate substantially during the fourth quarter. GGP’s unsecured debt is trading at or slightlybelow par, and its common stock is trading at approximately $7.60 per share, up more than 20times from our initial purchase price. GGP’s bond and stock price performance have been drivenby the company’s continued progress in bankruptcy court, increased valuations of REITs, recentreductions in shopping mall capitalization rates, and Simon Property Group’s public expressionsof interest in acquiring the company.The most material development in the bankruptcy process occurred after the end of the quarter,when GGP announced an agreement with approximately $9.7 billion of its secured creditors toextend the maturities of their debts at an average interest rate of 5.35%. This agreement issubject to court approval and certain other conditions, and is anticipated to be consummated byyear end. With $9.7 billion of the company’s secured creditors consensually agreeing to extendtheir maturities, it is likely, in Pershing Square’s view, that the balance of the company’s securedcreditors will fall in line on similar terms rather than risk litigation in bankruptcy court.Yesterday, Fitch Ratings, which rates the GGP mortgage bonds and the special servicers whonegotiated on their behalf, applauded the settlement by stating:
The successful resolution substantially alleviates the risk of rating downgrades for the transactions andillustrates the effectiveness of bankruptcy remote structures. Removing the loans from bankruptcy withtheir mortgages intact is an important test of the Special Purpose Entity structure, which is a keycomponent in structured finance.
Fitch’s blessing for the terms of the extensions should further increase the likelihood that theother GGP secured creditors will choose to join the settlement. In fact, recent press reports havesuggested that the GGP restructuring will likely become a model for other real estate mortgageextension negotiations that are underway as hundreds of billions of mortgages continue to maturewithout an active commercial mortgage market for these debts to be refinanced.Once GGP has extended the substantial majority of its secured debts, the company will be wellpositioned to emerge from bankruptcy as an independent company. Alternatively, it might besold to a strategic buyer or a private equity firm, or a U.S., foreign or other investmentconsortium, if a sale would achieve a higher value for GGP stakeholders. Despite this dynamic,we believe the stock trades at a substantially lower valuation than Simon Property Group becausemany market participants and other analysts have incorrectly assumed that GGP’s unsecuredcreditors will meaningfully dilute shareholders’ ability to achieve a substantial recovery.GGP’s creditors are only entitled to a fixed claim equal to the face value of their obligations plusaccrued interest. Any residual value above the company’s secured and unsecured creditors willinure entirely to the benefit of the company’s shareholders. As a result, proper stewardship of the recapitalization/sales process should allow the company to achieve full value for its common
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