70
70

Merlin Debuts On Capital Markets With €850M Bond Issue

18 April 2016 – Invertia

The Socimi has debuted on the capital markets with this operation, through which the firm seeks to refinance some of the debt it inherited from Testa.

Specifically, Merlin explains that this debt issue fits within its strategy to reduce the debt it holds after it completed the refinancing of the debt relating to Testa, the real estate company that it acquired from Sacyr, at the end of 2015 .

At that time, the Socimi signed a loan for €1,700 million with ten overseas banks, which was structured into two tranches of €850 million each, one of which is due to expire in December 2017 and which will be repaid through the bond issue.

Merlin is debuting on the debt market after it entered the Ibex 35 at the beginning of this year and managed to achieve an investment grade rating from Standard & Poors, which awarded it a BBB rating.

As such, the debt issue is taking place whilst the Socimi Merlin completes its purchase of the remaining 22% stake of Testa’s share capital, which is still owned by Sacyr, in an operation that must be closed before the end of June, as established in the agreement that the two companies signed last year. The ultimate goal of the company is to merge the two companies to create the largest listed real estate firm.

Original story: Invertia

Translation: Carmel Drake