The crisis at Markstone Capital Partners Group LLC is worsening. The firm, which will likely lose its investors hundreds of millions of dollars, is facing the loss of one of its main assets: a 23% stake in Psagot Investment House Ltd., Israel's largest investment house. Sources inform ''Globes'' that the investment institutions that invested in the bonds of Phenomenal Investment Ltd., through which Markstone holds shares in Psagot, intend to take legal action against the insolvent company to seize its holding in Psagot.
In a few days, the bondholders (which are owed NIS 100 million) will vote to liquidate the representative appointed a few months ago, after Phenomenal defaulted on its bond payments. They will also decide whether to instruct the trustee to take legal action to protect their rights. Most of the bondholders will reportedly vote in favor of the two resolutions.
A source close to the bondholders said, "Nothing has emerged from representative's talks, because Markstone is not cooperating, and did not even bother to attend a bondholders meeting."
The investment institutions that hold Phenomenal bonds, which were issued without collateral, are subordinate to the banks, to which Phenomenal's parent company, Amfic (formerly Prisma Investment House) owes NIS 400 million. The two companies' debts are the result of Markstone's huge investment in Prisma, which collapsed in 2009.
If and when Phenomenal's financial creditors go to court, it will be the last act in Prisma's sad story. Markstone founded the company with great fanfare in 2007, at a huge investment of NIS 2 billion (half of its equity), which will be totally lost.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on May 4, 2014
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