Bakala returns to the well for more

29.04.2014 - EB

Anyone taking the time to delve into the 596-page prospectus for the IPO of NWR in 2008 could read that an investment in the company's shares presented a significant risk. It's all laid out in black, white and green: If coal prices fall, the company's financial condition could suffer; the estimates of the coal reserves might not be realistic; the privatization of OKD could be challenged; investors took €1.49bn out as dividends before the IPO. Sophisticated investors read this and got out early; others lost as much as 98% of their money. The prospectus for the IPO of Domus (RPG Byty) will likely read much the same: If rent levels in Ostrava fall, the company's financial condition could suffer; the appraised value of the housing units might not be realistic; the privatization could be challenged; investors took out €337m in dividends (or thereabout). Sophisticated investors will read this and get out early. Others will wish they had.

Glossary of difficult words

well - (in this sense) an abundant source of something;

to delve into something - to dig into something; to research or make painstaking inquiries into something;

IPO - initial public offering of shares;

dividends - the dividends were largely paid with borrowed money in what is called a "dividend recapitalization."



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