TIDMSKG

Smurfit Kappa Group announces successful completion ofEUR1.375 billion Senior Credit Facility Re-financing

Re-positions the Group's debt profile from leveraged to corporate

Reduces interest costs, extends debt maturity and earnings accretive

SKG:IDSKG:LN

Smurfit Kappa Group plc ('SKG' or the "Group") is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed the refinancing of its existing senior secured credit facility with a new 5 year unsecured relationship bank facility. In connection with the refinancing, the collateral securing the obligations under the Group's various outstanding senior notes and debentures has also been released and the senior notes and debentures are therefore now unsecured. The transition of the capital structure from secured to unsecured reflects the re-positioning of SKG's credit profile from leveraged to corporate.

The new EUR1,375 million 5 year facility comprises a EUR750 million term loan with a margin of 2.25% and a EUR625 million revolving credit facility with a margin of 2.00%, reduced from margins of 3.75% and 3.25% respectively. The Group expects cash interest savings from the refinancing will be approximately EUR13 million per annum and the transaction will be immediately earnings accretive. There will be a one-off exceptional cost of approximately EUR16 million arising from the accelerated amortisation of unamortised deferred debt issue costs related to the existing facility.

The transaction was initially launched at EUR1,100 million and was upsized to EUR1,375 million following a substantial oversubscription. A total of 22 banks, all of whom are SKG relationship banks, have committed to the new facility. Citi, Crédit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank, Danske Bank A/S, HSBC Bank plc, JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. and The Royal Bank of Scotland plc / Ulster Bank Ireland Limited acted as Bookrunners and Mandated Lead Arrangers. The Royal Bank of Scotland plc was sole Co-ordinator.

In addition to the new senior facility, SKG has put in place a 5 year trade receivables securitisation programme of up to EUR175 million utilising the Group's receivables in Austria, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands. The programme, which has been arranged by Rabobank and carries a margin of 1.70%, will complement the Group's existing EUR250 million securitisation programme.

Ian Curley, Smurfit Kappa Group CFO, commented: "These transactions re-position SKG's debt portfolio from a secured leveraged structure post take private in 2002 to an unsecured corporate profile. The new facilities will lower SKG's overall cost of capital, materially reduce debt servicing costs, enhance earnings and provide greater financial flexibility, including the potential to refinance part of its more expensive bond debt at the appropriate time."

Smurfit Kappa

Smurfit Kappa is one of the leading producers of paper-based packaging in the world, with around 41,000 employees in approximately 350 production sites across 32 countries and with a sales revenue of EUR7.3 bn in 2012.

Innovation, service and pro-activity towards customers, using sustainable resources, is our primary focus. This focus is enhanced through us being an integrated producer, with our packaging plants sourcing the major part of their raw materials from our own paper mills. We are the European leader in paper-based packaging, operating in 21 countries selling products including corrugated, containerboard, bag-in-box, solidboard and solidboard packaging. We have a growing base in Eastern Europe in many of these product areas. We also have a key position in other product/market segments including graphicboard, MG paper and sack paper.

We are the only large scale pan regional player in the Americas, operating in 11 countries in total in North, Central and South America.

ENDS

For further information contact:

 
Seamus Murphy                     FTI Consulting 
Smurfit Kappa Group 
Tel: +353 1 202 71 80             Tel: +353 1 663 36 86 
E-mail: ir@smurfitkappa.com       E-mail: smurfitkappa@fticonsulting.com 
 
 
 
 
This information is provided by Business Wire
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