EANS-News: Lenzing successfully places sustainable bonded loan of over EUR 500 mn
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Corporate news transmitted by euro adhoc with the aim of a Europe-wide
distribution. The issuer is responsible for the content of this announcement.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Great interest in sustainable and innovative financing of the operative growth
of Lenzing
Financing/Company Information
Lenzing - Lenzing AG forges new paths in the financing of operative growth: As
one of the first companies in the world, on November 27, 2019, the leading
producer of wood based cellulose fibers successfully positioned a bonded loan
bound to its sustainability performance.
For this type of loan, the interest is linked to Lenzing's performance in the
area of sustainability and is annually reviewed and assessed by an independent
sustainability agency. The MSCI agency, which undertakes the rating in Lenzing's
case, recently awarded the company an A rating.
The innovative and sustainability-based financing of a bonded loan is a
consistent step in the implementation of its own corporate strategy "sCore TEN",
with a focus on sustainability and environmental protection.
The initial EUR 200 mn bond was of such interest to investors from Europe and
Asia that the decision was made to increase it to EUR 500 mn. Nearly 12 percent
of this (USD 65 mn) was tendered in US dollars. The average interest rate of the
loan is just under 1%, through which the Lenzing Group is financed less
expensively than with previous bonded loans. The fluctuation margin of the
interest rate of +/- 2.5 base points rises or falls depending on Lenzing's
sustainability rating. In the event of an improved rating, the relevant interest
savings will be donated on the part of Lenzing.
The total volume of the loan of EUR 500 mn will be available to the Lenzing
Group in December 2019 and in January 2020, and is further distributed over
tranches with terms of five, seven and ten years. In addition, registered bonds
will be put into place with a term of 15 years. The resources will be used for
general corporate financing, for early refinancing of a bond tranche from 2015
and for important sustainable future projects by the Lenzing Group.
Thomas Obendrauf, Chief Financial Officer of the Lenzing Group: "Our bonded loan
connects attractive conditions to an innovative sustainability-oriented concept.
For this we've used the favorable interest environment and secured long-term
financing. Sustainability is an important success factor of our corporate
strategy. We are firmly convinced that sustainability represents an elementary
factor for the economic success of the Lenzing Group."
The transaction was arranged and structured by BNP Paribas, the Landesbank
Baden-Württemberg and UniCredit. Parts of the bonded loan were tendered via the
innovative digital platform Debtvision. Considering the strong interest by
domestic and foreign investors, the initial starting volume of EUR 200 mn was
oversubscribed multiple times.
Further inquiry note:
Filip Miermans
Vice President Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
Lenzing AG
Phone: +43 7672 701 2743
E-Mail: f.miermans@lenzing.com
Stephanie Kniep
Head of Investor Relations
Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
Lenzing Aktiengesellschaft
Phone: +43 7672 701 4032
E-Mail: s.kniep@lenzing.com
end of announcement euro adhoc
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
issuer: Lenzing AG
A-4860 Lenzing
phone: +43 7672-701-0
FAX: +43 7672-96301
mail: office@lenzing.com
WWW: http://www.lenzing.com
ISIN: AT0000644505
indexes: ATX, WBI
stockmarkets: Wien
language: English