GM’s Re-listing Reflects Japan and America’s Difference

Published in Nihon Keizai Shinbun
(Japan) on 20 August 2010
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Xiao Tian. Edited by Gillian Palmer.
America’s General Motors (GM) is listing stock on the New York Stock Exchange once again. On the 18th of this month, GM applied to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Last June, GM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and progressed in the restructuring of its management under the supervision of the government; however, after only one year, it has applied for re-listing.

GM’s management has not yet fully recovered, but it posted final results in the black for the second straight quarter this year (from January to March and April to June). The new GM has been separated from the old GM, which had fallen into extreme debt. Traditional expenses such as personnel cuts and pension fund and health care costs have been drastically cut, thus making management leaner. Additionally, demand from developing nations has drastically increased.

The leading figure of the quick revival is the Obama administration. Last year, from the beginning of the administration in January, management experts specializing in quick revivals gathered and drafted a plan to revitalize GM in a short period of time.

After the Lehman Shock, GM and Chrysler’s management crisis worsened. On the one hand, the American government sold Chrysler to Italy’s Fiat, but on the other, the government separated new GM management from old and owns 60 percent of the newly revived GM’s stock.

The public funds including loans and investments allocated to GM amounts to 4.3 trillion yen (approximately 50 billion dollars). The government exercised influence on the board of directors and made drastic decisions, for example, replacing passive asset sales. The fruits of those labors are finally visible.

Rushing re-listing against these circumstances is probably also aimed at producing results in time for November’s midterm congressional elections. GM published for the occasion of stock listing that investment firms had priority on dividends and received preferred shares. The costs of dividends are higher compared to common shares. The intentions behind the swift collection of public funds are seen transparently in that agreement and in the technique of gathering investors.

Of course, in business revivals, the decisive battle on the short-term has strict rules. In Japan, Japan Airlines’ (JAL) revitalization is progressing using GM’s technique; however, negotiations with financial institutions over new loans are becoming entangled. In January of this year, even after filing for protection through the Industrial Revitalization Corporation Act and even after more than half a year has passed, a revival plan has not yet been agreed upon. Although there is a need to reduce costs such as landing fees, the government remains neglectful.

America has entered the period of public fund recovery, and Japan is one lap behind. JAL will submit a revitalization plan to the courts again next week, but time is money. It can be said that the conditions of both companies are different, but officials must think deeply about the differences developing between the U.S. and Japan.


GM再上場が映す日米の差

2010/8/20付

 米国のゼネラル・モーターズ(GM)が株式を再上場する。18日、米証券取引委員会(SEC)に申請した。昨年6月に米連邦破産法11条の適用を申請し、政府の管理下で経営再建を進めてきたが、わずか1年余りで再上場申請にこぎつけた。

 GMの経営はまだ病み上がりだが、今年1~3月期、4~6月期と2四半期続けて最終黒字を計上している。多額の債務超過に陥ったGMを新旧に分離し、人員削減や年金・医療費などの従来のしがらみにまつわる費用を一気に削減したことで、経営が身軽になった。さらに、新興国の需要が急拡大した。

 短期再生の立役者はオバマ政権だ。昨年1月の政権発足当初から、企業再生の専門家を集めGMを短期に再生させる計画を組んだ。

 リーマン・ショック以降、GMとクライスラーは経営危機が募った。米政府はクライスラーを伊フィアットに売却する一方、GMは経営を新旧分離したうえで新生GMの株式の6割超を拠出した。

 GMにつぎ込んだ公的資金は融資と出資を合わせ、円換算で4兆3千億円。政府が取締役会に影響力を行使して、資産売却に消極的な経営陣を入れ替えるなど、荒療治に踏み切った。その成果が表れたといえる。

 再上場を急いだ背景には11月の中間選挙に向け実績をつくる狙いもあろう。上場に際しGMが発行するのは、投資家が配当を優先して受け取れる優先株だ。普通株に比べて配当のコストが上がる。それを承知で投資家を集める手法には、公的資金の回収を急ぐ意向が透けて見える。

 もちろん、企業再生は短期決戦が鉄則でもある。日本ではGMの手法を参考に日本航空の再生が進められているが、金融機関との新規の融資を巡る交渉がもつれている。今年1月に会社更生法の適用を申請した後も、半年以上たつのに再生計画が合意できていない。着陸料の引き下げなどコストを下げる必要があるのに、政府はほったらかしたままだ。

 公的資金の回収期に入った米国と周回遅れの日本。日航は来週にも再生計画を裁判所に提出するが、時は金なり。両社の置かれた条件は違うとはいえ、関係者は日米に生じた差を真剣にかみしめるべきだ。
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