How a 96-year-old billionaire from Hong Kong escaped Trump’s glare with $19 billion port deal
Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing may have just pulled off one of his boldest transactions yet.
Under pressure from the Trump administration over two ports at the Panama canal controlled by CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd., Li’s company announced a plan to sell off the bulk of its global ports business to a consortium led by BlackRock Inc. In return, the Hong Kong firm will receive cash proceeds of more than $19 billion.
Investors, and even some of CK Hutchison’s closest advisers, were surprised that what began with two Panamanian ports has now evolved into a much larger deal. Under the agreement, the company will sell 43 ports in 23 countries, while keeping facilities in mainland China and Hong Kong.
The group sees the sale as an opportunity to cash out at a time when global geopolitical tensions and trade barriers have weakened the outlook for the ports business, said people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity involved in the deal.
Investors welcomed the news, with analysts saying CK Hutchison got a good price. The company’s shares surged as much as 25%, adding almost $5 billion to its market value. Before the announcement of the deal, the stock had fallen about 7% since the beginning of the year.
Artificial Intelligence(AI)
Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI
By — Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer
Artificial Intelligence(AI)
Basics of Generative AI: Unveiling Tomorrows Innovations
By — Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer
Ar