据知情人士透露，新世界发展有限公司已聘请银行准备配股事宜，计划筹集高达250亿港元（约32亿美元）资金。
New World Development Co. has engaged banks to prepare for a rights issue to raise as much as HK$25 billion ($3.2 billion), according to people familiar with the situation.
知情人士称，新世界控股股东郑氏家族有意参与认购并向这家负债累累的公司注入新资金。因涉及机密信息，上述人士要求不具名。
New World’s controlling shareholder, the Cheng family, intends to participate and inject fresh capital into the heavily indebted company, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential information.
新世界股票于周五上午停牌，待发布公告。今年以来该股累计下跌33%，公司市值约为123亿港元。
New World’s shares were suspended from trading Friday morning pending an announcement. The shares have fallen 33% this year, leaving the company with a market capitalization of about HK$12.3 billion.
配股是指公司通过向股东折价发行新股来筹集现金。知情人士表示，银行正在考虑以“软包销”方式承销此次发行，即他们将尝试寻找外部投资者认购，而非承诺用自有资金包销剩余股份。知情人士称，商讨仍在进行中，不一定会最终实施配股。新世界及郑氏家族代表暂未立即回复置评请求。
A rights issue involves a company raising cash by selling new shares to stakeholders at a discount. The banks are considering softly underwriting the share sale, meaning they’ll try to find outside investors instead of promising to buy unsold shares with their own money, the people said. Deliberations are ongoing and might not result in a rights issue, the people said. Representatives for New World and the Cheng family didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
新世界此前报告录得36亿美元的创纪录全年亏损，在香港和中国内地房地产低迷导致流动性紧张多年后，一直致力于强化财务状况。随着大量债务将在未来几年到期，投资者密切关注其再融资计划。
New World reported a record $3.6 billion fiscal-year loss and has been trying to strengthen its finances after years of liquidity strain caused by the property slump in Hong Kong and mainland China. With significant debt maturing in the coming years, investors are closely focused on its refinancing plans.
新世界首席执行官黄志玲9月下旬曾对分析师表示，该开发商的重点是通过削减债务和出售资产来改善资产负债表。
New World Chief Executive Officer Echo Huang told analysts in late September that the developer’s focus was on improving its balance sheet by cutting debt and disposing of assets.