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Aston Martin's new SUV to make or 'brake' the business

Published: 15:50 25 Sep 2019 BST

Aston Martin car

Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC (LON:AML) shares fell 6.68% after it made what analysts believe is a high stake bet on the success of its new sports utility vehicle (SUV).

The luxury carmaker announced it had raised £121mln (US$150mln) via a bond sale with the debt carrying an eye-watering 12% interest rate.

READ: Aston Martin shares move in reverse after cutting sales forecast

There’s the option to draw down another £123mln (US$100mln) with the coupon on the additional funds rising as high as 15%.

The inflated cost of borrowing reflects the fact the market thinks Aston Martin is seen as a risky investment as it has misfired financially and racked up £1.1bn of debts.

According to Philippe Houchois, equity analyst at US investment bank Jefferies, the cash injection will support the development of new special edition cars as well as providing a “buffer” for the DBX SUV.

The highly-anticipated new model, with a starting tag price of £150,000, will be unveiled in December, with deliveries set for the second quarter of 2020.

“The DBX is critical to the viability of the business and I think that the cost of which Aston is raising debt confirms that basically DBX will make or break the success of the company,” Houchois said.

The past year hasn’t been rosy for James Bond’s favourite carmaker, which navigated Brexit uncertainties while its IPO dreams drove down the wrong path.

The shares were initially priced at 1,900p but lost momentum after a series of profit warnings. On Wednesday the shares were changing hands for 536.40p, down 6.68%.

 “Investors feel the need to get their hands on the money relatively quickly,” said Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.

 “At the moment [the company] is struggling to prove to people that it can put itself on a sustainable path to meeting its long-term cash profit-earning target.”

Still, Aston Martin was considered worthy of the risk, at a time when Metro Bank PLC (LON:MTRO) and Sirius Minerals PLC (LON:SXX) tried and failed to raise capital by selling coupons. 

The company said it expects full-year results in line with analyst consensus, with car sales between 6,300 and 6,500, capital expenditure of up to £350mln and net financing expense of around £70mln.

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