UAE Hospital Group NMC Begins Process to Exit Administration

FILE PHOTO: General view of NMC specialty hospital in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, February 11, 2020.
REUTERS/SATISH KUMAR
FILE PHOTO: General view of NMC specialty hospital in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, February 11, 2020. REUTERS/SATISH KUMAR
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UAE Hospital Group NMC Begins Process to Exit Administration

FILE PHOTO: General view of NMC specialty hospital in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, February 11, 2020.
REUTERS/SATISH KUMAR
FILE PHOTO: General view of NMC specialty hospital in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, February 11, 2020. REUTERS/SATISH KUMAR

UAE hospital operator NMC said on Wednesday its companies will begin the process of exiting the administration process in Abu Dhabi, creating a new entity controlled by its creditors with a future value of $2.25 billion.

NMC, the largest private healthcare provider in the UAE, ran into trouble last year after the disclosure of more than $4 billion in hidden debt left many UAE and overseas lenders with heavy losses, Reuters reported.

Its UAE operating businesses were placed into administration in the courts of Abu Dhabi's international financial centre ADGM. Claims from creditors rose to $7.1 billion with the majority of $6.7 billion relating to financial creditor claims, the company said in a presentation on Wednesday.

A new NMC Group will be established, while all material entities and assets will be transferred to a new operating entity, it said in a separate presentation.

The operating entity will be owned by a holding company with a future expected value of $2.25 billion, it said.

Creditors will each receive a portion of the $2.25 billion debt claim equal to the expected future value of New NMC Group and will get interest payments for these facilities, it said.

"We have brought the company back from the brink of near total collapse to secure NMC's future and to ensure that our ability to provide world-class patient care is preserved – through thick and thin," Chief Executive Michael Davis said in a statement.

"The first half of 2021 is like daylight compared to the dark nights of the first half of 2020."

NMC said after overwhelming support from creditors, the joint administrators Alvarez & Marsal have proposed deeds of company arrangement (DOCAs), which will allow 34 companies of the NMC group to exit administration.

There will be a creditors' meeting to vote on the proposed DOCAs on Sept 1. Once confirmed by the ADGM courts, it is anticipated it will take three to five months to complete the transfer of shares and assets, it said.



Stocks Stabilize, Gold Hits Record before Trump Tariff Reveal

FILE PHOTO: Gold bars are displayed at a gold jewelery shop in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh May 8, 2012. REUTERS/Ajay Verma (INDIA - Tags: BUSINESS COMMODITIES)/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Gold bars are displayed at a gold jewelery shop in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh May 8, 2012. REUTERS/Ajay Verma (INDIA - Tags: BUSINESS COMMODITIES)/File Photo
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Stocks Stabilize, Gold Hits Record before Trump Tariff Reveal

FILE PHOTO: Gold bars are displayed at a gold jewelery shop in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh May 8, 2012. REUTERS/Ajay Verma (INDIA - Tags: BUSINESS COMMODITIES)/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Gold bars are displayed at a gold jewelery shop in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh May 8, 2012. REUTERS/Ajay Verma (INDIA - Tags: BUSINESS COMMODITIES)/File Photo

Asian equities rose on Tuesday following Wall Street's overnight gains, while gold hit an all-time peak and Treasury yields fell as markets awaited details of US President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs.
The Japanese yen strengthened as traditional haven assets drew demand.
At the same time, the risk-sensitive Australian dollar rebounded after the Reserve Bank of Australia left interest rates steady, as widely expected, but warning of "pronounced" global uncertainty.
Regional stocks found some respite on the first day of April after being battered in March by worries that Trump's trade war could trigger stagflation or even a US recession, reported Reuters.
Investors are nervously awaiting April 2, a day Trump has dubbed "Liberation Day", when he has promised to unveil a massive reciprocal tariff plan.
Australia's benchmark equity index advanced 1%, while South Korea's KOSPI climbed 1.9% and Taiwan's equity benchmark rose 1.7%, following steep drops on Monday.
At the same time, Hong Kong's Hang Seng and Japan's Nikkei gave up gains of 1% or more to be flat to slightly higher. Mainland Chinese blue chips were also little changed after struggling all session.
Pan-European STOXX 50 futures added 0.35%.
The US S&P 500 gained 0.55% on Monday, snapping a three-day losing run, but futures pointed 0.34% lower.
"It is possible that a significant portion of last night's rebound in the key (Wall Street) indices was attributable to month-end and quarter-end rebalancing flows, as well as short covering ahead of Trump's Liberation Day, amid considerable uncertainty about what comes next," said Tony Sycamore, an analyst at IG.
"US equity markets are priced for a slowdown in growth and earnings. However, they are not priced for a recession, and if the US economy enters recession, US stock markets could easily fall by another 10%."
Bullion powered to a record high for a fourth straight session, hitting $3,148.88 per ounce.
"On top of general risk aversion, investors are increasing allocation to gold with the Trump administration's trade policy threatening the dollar's special reserve status," said Kyle Rodda, senior financial markets analyst at Capital.com.
"The fundamental backdrop remains strong for gold."
DOLLAR UNDER PRESSURE
Demand for the safety of Treasuries sent yields lower on Tuesday, with those on benchmark 10-year notes sinking some 5 basis points to 4.1920%.
That put pressure on the dollar, which slipped 0.08% to 149.85 yen. The euro was steady at $1.0813.
The Aussie added 0.14% to $0.6258. The RBA held rates at 4.1%, having just cut them by a quarter point in February for the first time in over four years.
"Geopolitical uncertainties are also pronounced," the RBA said in its statement, adding that US tariffs are having an impact on confidence globally.
"The RBA's statement suggests they're inching towards their next cut, but in no rush to signal one," said Matt Simpson, senior market analyst at City Index.
"The RBA just want more time to be confident that policy is on the right track."
Bitcoin was slightly higher at around $83,040.
Oil prices rose, adding to the 2% surge from Monday. Brent gained 0.23% to $74.94 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude advanced 0.22% to $71.64.
At the weekend, Trump threatened secondary tariffs on Russian crude and on Iran. He also warned Iran of bombing if Tehran did not come to an agreement with Washington over its nuclear program.