China’s Longfor says it has enough funds to repay loans, shares surge

Shares of Chinese property company Longfor (HK:0960) experienced a significant surge on Friday after the firm informed bondholders of its ability to repay a loan due later this month. The Hong Kong-listed company saw its stock rise by 9.2% to HK$6.37, outpacing the 2.1% increase in the Hang Seng index.

According to Bloomberg, Longfor assured bondholders that it possesses sufficient funds to repay a 1.3 billion yuan ($190 million) bank loan set to mature in September. The company also disclosed to bondholders its expectation of repaying a U.S. bond maturing the following year and obtained approximately 3.2 billion yuan in new operating property loans against some of its mall properties.

This news provided a much-needed relief for both debt and equity investors, as China's real estate sector has been grappling with a prolonged liquidity crisis, causing concern in the markets.

The Bloomberg report highlights that Longfor currently possesses the necessary liquidity to meet its ongoing debt obligations. As one of the last major Chinese property developers to fulfill its debt commitments, Longfor stands in stark contrast to high-profile defaults by major players such as Evergrande (HK:6666) and Sunac (HK:1918).