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Miner Glencore faces 'severe problems' Miner Glencore faces 'severe problems'
(35 minutes later)
Analysts warn Glencore could face "severe problems" if it doesn't cut its debt and commodity prices don't recover. Mining firm Glencore could face "severe problems" if it does not cut its debt and commodity prices do not recover, analysts have said.
Senior Investment Director at Investec, Laura Lambie told the BBC on Tuesday that the whole mining sector was under pressure. Investec senior investment director Laura Lambie told the BBC that the whole mining sector was under pressure.
Glencore's share price recovered slightly on Tuesday to rise 5.2% after a 29% plunge on Monday. Glencore's shares price dived 30% on Monday after Investec warned that weak commodity prices could lead to the firm's equity value being "eliminated".
But analysts at Citigroup said the sell-off in Glencore had been overdone.But analysts at Citigroup said the sell-off in Glencore had been overdone.
The bank said that there was still value in the business. Citigroup said that there was still value in the business, and that Glencore should even consider going private via a management buyout if the market rout continued.
Overnight Hong Kong-listed shares of commodity trader Glencore fell 27% to a record low of 9 Hong Kong dollars (£0.77), following a similar drop in London on Monday "In the event the equity market continues to express its unwillingness to value the business fairly, the company management should take the company private, whereby restructuring measures can be taken easily and quickly," it said.
Shares of Australian mining heavyweights BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto were also down more than 5%. In Hong Kong on Tuesday, Glencore shares fell 27% - echoing the falls seen in London on Monday.
"Miners grew hugely to meet the demand from China and they borrowed heavily to find it and the cost of servicing that debt and the schedule of repayments are really putting companies such as Glencore under the spotlight," said Laura Lambie. However, its shares enjoyed a modest rebound as trading got under way in London, rising nearly 9%.
"The risk is if commodities don't recover then companies like Glencore will be in trouble trying to repay its debt." Asset sales
Glencore's shares lost almost a third of its market value on Monday after Investec said it risked having little value for investors.
The company's shares dropped to a new record low of 67p, helping push the FTSE 100 down 2%.
Analysts warned slumping metal prices could leave Glencore shares almost worthless because of its heavy debts.
Fears over Glencore's £20bn debt pile have seen its shares dive in the past month and the cost of insuring that debt has soared.Fears over Glencore's £20bn debt pile have seen its shares dive in the past month and the cost of insuring that debt has soared.
'Value eliminated' But its shares plunged to a record low on Monday after analysts at Investec wrote that low metals prices "could see almost all equity value eliminated" at the Switzerland-based company.
Analysts at Investec wrote that low metals prices "could see almost all equity value eliminated" at the Switzerland-based company.
They also questioned how much Glencore could raise from selling its agriculture division, as "valuing such a volatile business is likely to be tough".They also questioned how much Glencore could raise from selling its agriculture division, as "valuing such a volatile business is likely to be tough".
Glencore hopes to generate up to $12bn (£7.9bn) from the sale of its grains business to reduce its debt burden.Glencore hopes to generate up to $12bn (£7.9bn) from the sale of its grains business to reduce its debt burden.
The Investec analysts said that without major restructuring, Glencore and another debt-laden mining firm, Anglo American, could see their value "evaporate". Speaking to the BBC, Investec's Laura Lambie said: "Miners grew hugely to meet the demand from China and they borrowed heavily to find it and the cost of servicing that debt and the schedule of repayments are really putting companies such as Glencore under the spotlight.
Fears of a slowdown in China's economy has weighed on metal prices, with copper, aluminium and nickel all down more than 25% compared to a year ago. "The risk is if commodities don't recover then companies like Glencore will be in trouble trying to repay its debt."
Fears of a slowdown in China's economy has weighed on metal prices, with copper, aluminium and nickel all down more than 25% compared with a year ago.