Metro Bank Reaches Terms With Investors: Stock Shoots Up as Funding Begins

The UK Metro Bank has successfully negotiated terms with key investors, offering a glimmer of optimism amid recent financial uncertainties. The finalized agreement, revealed on Sunday, unveils a £325mn capital boost, comprising £150mn of novel equity primarily from Metro’s predominant stakeholders, and a supplementary £175mn from new bondholder debt.

For Context: UK Metro Bank Stock Crashes Even Lower

A New Chapter: Investor Commitment & Share Rebound

Spearheading this influx of equity, Colombian magnate Jaime Gilinski Bacal has committed an impressive £102mn. Consequently, Bacal is poised to emerge as Metro’s principal shareholder, a strategic move considering his successful history of revitalizing undervalued banking assets in Latin America.

Additionally, Metro has unveiled plans for a £600mn debt refinancing strategy. This ambitious move entails Metro’s tier 2 bondholders accepting a 40-45% reduction on their current investments. However, as CEO Dan Frumkin articulates, this holistic financial package inaugurates a “new chapter” for the lender, a sentiment echoed by the bank’s stock, which surged by a commendable 13% early Monday.

Despite this positive trajectory, challenges remain. Metro’s share value still lags, down by over 60% this year alone. Yet, expressing unwavering confidence, Gilinski Bacal iterated his belief in Metro’s growth potential, emphasizing the bank’s foundational evolution over the preceding triennial.

Strengthening the Financial Footing

Metro’s recent maneuvers are not isolated. With the Bank of England scouting potential Metro asset buyers, significant UK banking entities like NatWest, Santander, and Lloyds Banking Group have reportedly expressed interest.

Launched in 2010, Metro Bank has garnered a substantial customer base of 2.8mn and boasts assets worth £21.7bn. Its distinctive approach to customer service has been its hallmark, though a critical accounting error in 2019 dimmed its market shine. Subsequent setbacks, such as UK regulators denying Metro a pivotal mortgage book capital requirement revision, exacerbated its challenges.

Yet, in light of these adversities, Metro Bank remains undeterred. Alongside the financing package, the bank is exploring avenues to divest nearly £3bn in residential mortgages. This strategic move aims to enhance the bank’s capital ratio, subsequently lowering its risk-weighted assets by an estimated £1bn.

Future Prospects and Regulatory Implications

Metro Bank is gearing up to unveil a detailed prospectus in the upcoming weeks, targeting the finalization of the financing deal by this year’s end. Impressively, with the planned capital injection, the bank’s financial strength, gauged by the common equity tier 1 ratio, is projected to surpass 13%, a figure notably higher than regulatory stipulations.

However, the stock’s issuance under the equity raise comes with a caveat. Priced at 30p per share, it stands at a discount compared to its recent 45p closing, implying a significant dilution for existing shareholders. Metro Bank further disclosed that CEO Frumkin’s equity raise contribution, although noteworthy, won’t necessitate broader shareholder approval.

In terms of regulatory clearances, the BoE’s Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) is poised to undertake a thorough change of control evaluation, especially as Bacal’s Spaldy investment platform will command over 50% of Metro’s shares post-agreement. Both the PRA and the Financial Conduct Authority are set to oversee and evaluate the financing agreement’s execution.