SAIC Motor

May 20, 2022

(Yicai Global) May 20 -- China’s biggest automaker SAIC Motor bought a 71 percent stake in automobile finance firm Shanghai Dongzheng Auto Finance Company for CNY1.6 billion (USD237 million) through a judicial auction. SAIC, which was the sole bidder, yesterday won the auction the Shanghai Financial Court launched for the underlying assets on April 16, the Shanghai-based company announced late yesterday. The deal will be subject to regulatory approval. After the regulatory approval, SAIC Motor will own two auto finance companies: SAIC-GMAC Automotive Finance and Dongzheng AFC. “The acquisition of a controlling stake in Dongzheng AFC is conducive to the cooperation between both companies at the business level,” SAIC Motor said. After the transaction, the carmaker can provide a wide range of customer resources for Dongzheng AFC, it added, noting that the acquisition will also help the development of SAIC’s auto finance business. Shares of SAIC [SHA: 600104] were trading up 1.4 percent at CNY16.76 (USD2.49) as of today’s lunch break. Dongzheng AFC [HKG: 2718] suspended trading yesterday, after closing at HKD1 (13 US cents) on May 18. The stock has risen as much as 40 percent since the launching of the auction on April 16. Founded in 2015, Shanghai-based Dongzheng AFC is one of the 25 authorized auto finance companies in China and it was focused on providing financial services to its then controlling shareholder, auto dealer China Zhengtong Auto Services Holdings, SAIC noted. Dongzheng AFC was put out for auction after the Shanghai branch of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission ruled that Zhengtong Auto Services was to sell all its assets in Dongzheng AFC as it improperly obtained regulatory approval to establish the auto finance firm by improper means and used the unit as a channel to pump interests back to the parent through various related-party transactions. Dongzheng AFC’s revenue slumped over 45 percent to CNY316 million (USD47 million) in 2021 from a year earlier. Net loss was CNY840 million, versus a net profit of CNY54.98 million (USD8.2 million) in the period. Zhengtong’s stock price [HKG: 1728] was trading up 5.6 percent at 57 Hong Kong cents (7 US cents) as of 11.55 a.m. Hong Kong time today. Editor: Tang Shihua, Futura Costaglione Follow Yicai Global on RELATED