Egypt achieves record primary budget surplus of EGP 629bn despite sharp fall in Suez Canal revenues    Escalation in Gaza, West Bank as Israeli strikes continue amid mounting international criticism    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Resumption of production at El Nasr marks strategic step towards localising automotive industry: El-Shimy    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, UNDP discuss outcomes of joint projects, future environmental cooperation    United Bank achieves EGP 1.51bn net profit in H1 2025, up 26.9% year-on-year    After Putin summit, Trump says peace deal is best way to end Ukraine war    Jordan condemns Israeli PM remarks on 'Greater Israel'    Egypt's Supreme Energy Council reviews power supply plans for 14 industrial projects    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egypt's FM discusses Gaza, bilateral ties in calls with Saudi, South African counterparts    Egypt prepares to tackle seasonal air pollution in Nile Delta    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egyptian pound closes high vs. USD on Tuesday – CBE    Egypt, Colombia discuss medical support for Palestinians injured in Gaza    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt's govt. issues licensing controls for used cooking oil activities    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Egypt's Sisi: Egypt is gateway for aid to Gaza, not displacement    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







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TMG plays down court ruling, shares tumble again
Published in Daily News Egypt on 15 - 09 - 2010

CAIRO: Egypt's Talaat Moustafa (TMG) said on Wednesday the government had given commitments to respect its contracts, a day after a court upheld a ruling that could threaten the real estate firm's flagship project.
TMG stock had slid 11.7 percent by 1002 GMT, adding to a 7 percent drop on Tuesday after the court decision, which dashed investor hopes for an end to uncertainty over the $3 billion Madinaty project.
Egypt's High Administrative Court on Tuesday upheld a ruling that a housing ministry body broke the law by selling the land without putting it up for public auction.
The court rejected appeals filed by TMG, Egypt's biggest listed developer, and the ministry.
"Foreign investors who look for quality stocks with medium and long-term value have been selling TMG given that it looks so risky," said Amr El-Feky, head of technical analysis at Cairo Capital Securities.
Analysts said the ruling could slow TMG's home sales and increase its cancellations. Executives and legal experts said the government was likely to adjust the company's flagship Madinaty deal's terms without affecting customers who hold contracts there.
"The government has announced more than once its commitment to respect all its contracts and pledges to all investors, and to the completion of all real estate projects," Chief Financial Officer Jihad Sawaftah said in a statement sent to the bourse.
Echoing comments made by the group's legal adviser Shawky El-Sayed on Tuesday, the statement said the group would seek to overturn the latest court decision.
TMG board member Hany Sarie El Din said that overturning the court ruling was "exceptional and difficult, but it was a legal option."
Legal expert Mohamed Hesham Mahran said that, after the failure of the initial appeal, TMG still had another legal recourse that could lead to Tuesday's ruling being overturned.
CFO Sawaftah said the latest decision was part of a process that will not harm the company or its clients as they should not pay a compensation fee and the land will not be confiscated, according to a note from Beltone brokerage.
"We believe, however, that the ruling should result in a slowdown in sales in the coming quarter, as well as increased cancellations," Beltone said in the note.
HC Brokerage Senior Analyst Ankur Khetawat noted that TMG stock was trading at LE 7-8 before the dispute blew up, and investors were unlikely to take positions as long as the case remains unresolved.
"The plot under dispute is the seed for the survival of the company," said Khetawat. "It is still very difficult to predict the outcome of this judicial review process. There are many political factors involved and it's very hard to speculate."
He said one scenario might be that the company would be forced to pay the difference between an estimated fair value for the Madinaty land and the amount it actually paid.
A 2008 valuation report by CB Richard Ellis estimated the Madinaty project was worth about LE 17.8 billion ($3.1 billion). An investigation showed the deal brought the state a value of LE 13 billion. –Additional reporting by Marwa Rashad and Tom Pfeiffer


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