17 July 2023
Cordiant Digital Infrastructure Limited
Emitel refinancing of senior loans
Cordiant Digital Infrastructure Limited ("CORD"), an operationally focused investor in the core digital infrastructure that enables modern communications and the internet, is pleased to announce that its portfolio company, Emitel S.A. ("Emitel"), has refinanced its senior loan facilities with a consortium of leading international and national lenders, under which it has secured PLN 1.57 billion (€353 million equivalent) of financing, maturing in 2030.
The new facilities include senior secured term loans of PLN 1.27 billion (of which PLN 370 million - €83 million - is denominated in Euros), a capex facility of PLN 250 million and a revolving credit facility ("RCF") of PLN 50 million.
The consortium is comprised of international lenders Citi1, BNP2, Credit Agricole3 and DNB Bank ASA, together with leading Polish banks and financial institutions: PKO Bank Polski S.A., Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, PZU S.A., Bank Ochrony Środowiska S.A., Alior Bank S.A. and Bank Pekao S.A. (also acting as credit agent and security agent).
The new facilities were 1.6 times oversubscribed and have a blended credit margin lower than the 2.9% of the current senior facilities. The senior secured term loans will be used to retire the existing senior facilities, put in place in 2020. The capex facility and RCF will be applied to support Emitel's growth trajectory by financing its operational activities, new investments and acquisition plans.
Following the successful conclusion of this refinancing, CORD and its portfolio companies have no debt maturing until June 2025. The pro forma aggregate leverage ratio of CORD following the refinance is 36% measured as net debt divided by gross assets and the weighted average margin across all debt facilities has declined to 3.1% from 3.25% at 31 March 2023.
Steven Marshall, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Emitel and Co-Managing Partner of Cordiant Digital Infrastructure said, "We are delighted with the support and recognition received from some of the leading banks in Europe with respect to Emitel. Emitel is a national champion in Poland with an outstanding management team and continues to perform strongly. We look forward to working with the company and this group of banks in the future to spur further growth of Emitel. More broadly our portfolio companies are well capitalised as they look to deliver on their growth ambitions."
1 Through their Polish subsidiary Citi Handlowy
2 Through their Polish subsidiary BNP Paribas Bank Polska S.A.
3 Through their Polish subsidiary Credit Agricole Bank Polska S.A.
For further information, please contact:
Cordiant Capital Inc Investment Manager Stephen Foss, Managing Director |
+44 (0) 207 2017546 |
Aztec Financial Services (Guernsey) Limited Company Secretary and Administrator Chris Copperwaite Laura Dunning |
+44 (0) 1481 748831 |
Celicourt Financial Communications Adviser Ali AlQahtani Philip Dennis |
+44 (0) 207 770 6424 |
About Emitel
Emitel is the largest operator in Poland of digital terrestrial television ("DTT") as well as IPTV platforms, the leading radio broadcast emissions provider and a leading provider of network neutral towers and fibre infrastructure.
This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact [email protected] or visit www.rns.com.RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services. For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange use the personal data you provide us, please see our Privacy Policy. ENDMSCFLFISDAISLIV
==