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Ahlstrom signs new EUR 200 mn medium term financing agreement
15 Jul '09
2 min read
Ahlstrom Corporation, a leading manufacturer of specialty papers and nonwovens, has entered into a multicurrency revolving credit facility agreement for the amount of EUR 200 million with six relationship banks. The new credit facility replaces an existing corresponding revolving credit facility expiring in November this year and is available for general corporate purposes and refinancing of the existing credit facility.
The new facility has a maturity of three years. The terms and conditions of the facility agreement contain customary covenants and undertakings including the requirement to maintain certain net debt to equity ratios. Dividend payments and other distributions to shareholders will also be restricted.
As a result of these restrictions dividend payments and other distributions will be subject to an equity injection, or the issuance of other instruments treated as equity under IFRS or other agreed subordinated debt instruments sufficient for Ahlstrom to reduce its net debt to equity ratio by approximately 20 percentage points as calculated based on the company's balance sheet at the end of the first quarter of 2009, as well as to sufficient cash flow. The restrictions do not apply to dividends that become payable under law (minority dividend).
In the transaction, Nordea, Pohjola Bank and Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) acted as mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners. The other participants are DnB NORD and Sampo Bank as arrangers and BNP Paribas as co-arranger. Nordea acted as coordinator of the credit facility, SEB as documentation agent and Pohjola Bank acts as facility agent.
Additionally, Ahlstrom has raised new medium term debt of EUR 55 million during the first half of 2009. Together with the new EUR 200 million revolving credit facility, this improves Ahlstrom's debt maturity profile.
The new facility has a maturity of three years. The terms and conditions of the facility agreement contain customary covenants and undertakings including the requirement to maintain certain net debt to equity ratios. Dividend payments and other distributions to shareholders will also be restricted.
As a result of these restrictions dividend payments and other distributions will be subject to an equity injection, or the issuance of other instruments treated as equity under IFRS or other agreed subordinated debt instruments sufficient for Ahlstrom to reduce its net debt to equity ratio by approximately 20 percentage points as calculated based on the company's balance sheet at the end of the first quarter of 2009, as well as to sufficient cash flow. The restrictions do not apply to dividends that become payable under law (minority dividend).
In the transaction, Nordea, Pohjola Bank and Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) acted as mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners. The other participants are DnB NORD and Sampo Bank as arrangers and BNP Paribas as co-arranger. Nordea acted as coordinator of the credit facility, SEB as documentation agent and Pohjola Bank acts as facility agent.
Additionally, Ahlstrom has raised new medium term debt of EUR 55 million during the first half of 2009. Together with the new EUR 200 million revolving credit facility, this improves Ahlstrom's debt maturity profile.
Ahlstrom Corporation
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