Astra satellite operator SES has syndicated a €3 billion equivalent acquisition financing package to support the acquisition of Intelsat.
Prior to the Intelsat deal announcement, Deutsche Bank and Morgan Stanley had jointly underwritten a €3 billion bridge facility to support SES’s financing requirements as part of the agreement to acquire Intelsat.
This €3 billion bridge facility has been successfully syndicated now, with a highly oversubscribed level of commitments, to an international group of existing relationship and new banks in the form of a €2.1 billion bridge facility and US$1 billion term loan, according to SES, adding that the term loan was upsized in syndication on the back of a strong response from the bank group.
The bridge facility serves to provide financing certainty and flexibility in the issuance of bonds. The bridge facility has tenor of 12 months and is extendable twice by a further six months while the term loan has a five-year amortising tenor from its drawl.
The term loan financing diversifies funding sources for SES, at an attractive rate, and provides flexibility for deleveraging over time, according to the satellite operator. SES has also agreed to a two-year extension of the €1.2 billion revolving credit facility (signed 26 June 2019) thereby maintaining a back-up liquidity facility up to 26 June 2028 with a group of 19 banks.
“We are delighted to have received overwhelming support of our banking partners in the financing of this important and transformational transaction for SES. The bridge facility provides SES with financing flexibility from a capital markets issuance perspective while the term loan serves as a source of long-term financing,” said Sandeep Jalan, Chief Financial Officer of SES.
