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GM prepares for Ch. 11 bankruptcy announcement

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-06-01 07:49

DETROIT -- With the clock ticking on June 1 government deadline to restructure, General Motors Corp. worked feverishly Sunday to shore up its global businesses to clear the way for a speedy reorganization in bankruptcy court.

General Motors world headquarters is shown in Detroit, in this Tuesday, April 21, 2009 file photo. [Agencies]

A majority of the Detroit automaker's unsecured bondholders announced they had accepted a deal viewed as crucial to reorganization, and Germany agreed to loan $2 billion to GM's German unit, Opel, as part of its acquisition by a Canadian auto parts supplier.

The moves don't change much for GM, but shore it up for a bankruptcy protection filing, said Rebecca Lindland, an auto analyst for the consulting firm IHS Global Insight.

"The more agreements GM has with its interests, the better the bankruptcy is going to go," she said. "It's not a game changer at all."

GM, part of American life for more than 100 years and once the country's largest employer, is expected to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection before the markets open Monday. It would be the largest industrial bankruptcy in US history, and the fourth-largest overall.

In addition, a GM bankruptcy would be unprecedented as the federal government would pump billions more into the company, and take a 72.5 percent interest in the automaker.

On Sunday a group of large, institutional bondholders, representing 54 percent of GM bondholders, agreed to exchange their unsecured bonds for a 10 percent stake in a newly restructured company, plus warrants to purchase a greater share later. They had balked at an earlier offer, that gave them 10 percent of the company without the warrants.

Related readings:  GM bondholder deadline passes, focus now on Ch. 11  With bankruptcy looming, a new GM begins to emerge  GM says US to own 72% under bankruptcy plan  GM: bondholders accept debt-for-equity offer  US likely taking majority ownership of GM

The Treasury, which has been guiding the Detroit automaker toward a rescue plan, notified the company Sunday the response was sufficient to move forward with a pre-packaged bankruptcy filing. In a previous exchange offer, the Treasury demanded participation of 90 percent of bondholders, representing unsecured debt of $24 billion.

Chief Executive Officer Fritz Henderson has scheduled a news conference Monday morning in New York. President Barack Obama is also expected to give a speech addressing the Detroit automaker's future shortly before noon. Henderson's conference is expected to follow the president's remarks.

GM already has received about $20 billion in government loans and could get $30 billion more to make it through what is expected to be a 60- to 90-day reorganization in bankruptcy court.

Beyond the bankruptcy announcement Monday, GM is expected to reveal 14 plants it intends to close and name the buyer of its Hummer division.

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