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Reuters – Hedge funds that provided bankrupt U.S. auto parts maker Delphi with debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing are not getting access to the firm’s books, hindering their ability to make a takeover offer, the New York Post reported, citing a person familiar with the situation.
The lenders are led by hedge fund Elliott Associates, the paper said.
In case they do not get access to Delphi’s books soon, the lenders may approach the judge handling the bankruptcy case to intervene, a source told the paper.
Bloomberg – Aozora Bank Ltd., the Japanese lender controlled by Cerberus Capital Management LP, posted its first loss in a decade, after investments in U.S. lender GMAC LLC and Bernard Madoff soured.
The bank booked a 242.6 billion yen ($2.5 billion) deficit in the year ended March 31, compared with a profit of 5.93 billion yen a year earlier, it said in a statement today. It lost 35.8 billion yen on U.S. auto financing company GMAC.
Aozora, rescued by Japan’s government during the 1990s banking crisis, has pledged to focus on domestic lending after racking up losses in the U.S. Chief Executive Officer Brian Prince, who replaced Federico Sacasa on Feb. 10 when the bank forecast a loss, declined to comment on reports he merge the company with Shinsei Bank Ltd.
Reuters – President Barack Obama has decided to launch a government task force for restructuring the struggling U.S. auto industry instead of naming a "car czar" with sweeping powers, a senior administration official said on Sunday.
Obama is appointing Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner as his "designee" for overseeing auto bailout loans and as co-head of the new high-level panel together with White House economic adviser Lawrence Summers, the official said.
But Obama, who took office on January 20 and last week won congressional approval of a $787 billion economic stimulus program, has dropped the idea of having a single appointee empowered to handle the politically sensitive task of revamping America’s once-mighty auto sector.
"There is no ‘car czar,’" the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
New York (HedgeCo.Net) – The glitz and glamour that is usually indigenous to one of the world’s most prestigious car shows will be somewhat absent this year, as the U.S. auto makers instead will focus on what’s to come at the annual Detroit Auto Show.
Chrysler, who was granted a $4 billion bailout by Uncle Sam, announced they would unveil 24 new models over the next four years while denying rumors of a sale.
“No one should read what we’re doing as if we are trying to position the company for sale,” said Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli. “Hibernation would be the furthest thing from the truth.”
Private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management purchased over 80 percent of Chrysler from Daimler AG in August 2007, although Daimler has said that their demands had surpassed their original $7.2 billion investment.
Consumers should expect three or four brand new or revamped models in 2009. All 30 of Chrysler’s plants have halted production until at least January 19th, so dealers can get rid of current inventory first.
The Detroit Auto Show, formally called the 2009 North American International Auto Show, will see a plethora of new models and ideas. All in all, there will be 57 new car debuts, with 14 coming from North America.
GM is no exception. After almost sinking in the wake of its troubles, GM will be forced to come up with new concepts and ideas that lean more towards fuel efficiency. Such as the Cadillac Converi concept car, introduced this past weekend, which would run for about 40 miles on just electric power before needing a charge or switching over to its gas-assist engine.
The Detroit Auto Show runs from January 17 – January 25.
Julie Scuderi Senior Editor for HedgeCo.Net Email: julie@hedgeco.net
New York (HedgeCo.Net) – Stephen Feinberg’s Cerberus Capital Management has followed in the footsteps of many faltering hedge funds this year, limiting client redemptions in one of its funds after investors moved to withdrawal 16.5 percent of their capital, according to a recent letter to investors.
The Cerberus Partners Fund is down 16 percent this year through the end of November. Cerberus said they would honor about 20 percent of the redemption requests, while others might have to wait a year to pull out their cash. However, they are planning on waiving 60 percent of the incentive fee for a year after the losses are made up for any money that is still in the fund as of December 31.
“This is a very hard decision for us, and the realization that taking these steps is now necessary is deeply disappointing,” said the letter.
Cerberus agreed to give its stake in Chrysler to creditors and employees as per an agreement with Uncle Sam for the auto manufacturer to receive a loan. Its ties with the U.S. auto industry, however, don’t end there. They also invest in GMAC, the financing sector of GMC. Both GMC and Chrysler have taken a beating this year, more so than any other American car maker, prompting them to seek a $15 billion bailout from the government.
Cerberus isn’t the only hedge fund choosing to halt redemptions this year. Around 80 reputable firms including Harbinger, Citadel, RAB and Blue Mountain have chosen to freeze funds in an effort to stave off withdrawals fueled by fear in a sour economy.
Fortunately, Cerberus has confirmed that none of their funds are directly or indirectly invested with Bernard Madoff, the Ponzi-schemer who is responsible for bilking $50 billion out of investors.
Julie Scuderi Senior Editor for HedgeCo.Net Email: julie@hedgeco.net
