Firmenich Completes Financing of DRT Acquisition, Raising EUR 750 Million, With Debut Issuance of Hybrid Notes
28 May, 2020, 08:00 BST
GENEVA, May 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Firmenich, a global leader in the Flavor & Fragrance industry, is pleased to announce that it has successfully priced its inaugural €750 million hybrid notes offering, comprising deeply subordinated resettable perpetual notes with a 5.25-year non-call period and an initial coupon rate of 3.75 percent.
"The hybrid notes will complete the financing of our acquisition of DRT announced in March, which makes Firmenich the industry leader in renewable and sustainable ingredients. This funding supports our conservative capital structure, while offering us the flexibility to invest in our strategic growth," said Gilbert Ghostine, CEO, Firmenich. "I am delighted with this vote of confidence from our investors, which clearly shows their trust in Firmenich."
This hybrid note issuance is the final component of Firmenich's financing of the DRT acquisition announced 6 March 2020, and follows the Company's successful placement of its inaugural senior Eurobonds and Swiss Franc Bonds on 23 April 2020. The notes will be assigned 50% equity credit by Standard & Poor's and further contribute to supporting the Company's strong investment grade credit rating.
The offering was significantly oversubscribed, attracting interest from a broad base of both existing and new institutional investors. This provides further recognition of the Company's resilient business model, successful operating track record and strong cash generation profile. The notes will be listed on Euronext Dublin.
Citigroup and UBS Investment Bank acted as Joint Global Coordinators, Joint Structuring Advisers and Joint Bookrunners. Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs International acted as Co-Managers (together, the "Managers"). Firmenich was advised by Baker McKenzie on legal matters.
About Firmenich
Firmenich was founded in 1895 in Geneva, Switzerland, and for 125 years has been a private family-owned company. Firmenich is a leading business-to-business company operating primarily in the flavors and fragrances market, and is involved in the research, creation, manufacture and sale of perfumes, flavors and ingredients. Firmenich aims to offer its customers superior creativity in formulation, a broad and high-quality palette of ingredients and proprietary technologies including in biotechnology, encapsulation, olfactory science and taste modulation, among other areas of innovation. Firmenich had an annual turnover of 3.9 billion Swiss Francs at end June 2019. More information about Firmenich is available at www.firmenich.com
DISCLAIMER
NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN BY THE COMPANY, THE MANAGERS OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES THAT WOULD PERMIT AN OFFERING OF THE NOTES OR POSSESSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF THIS PRESS RELEASE OR ANY OFFERING OR PUBLICITY MATERIAL RELATING TO THE NOTES IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE ACTION FOR THAT PURPOSE IS REQUIRED. PERSONS INTO WHOSE POSSESSION THIS PRESS RELEASE COMES ARE REQUIRED BY THE COMPANY AND THE MANAGERS TO INFORM THEMSELVES ABOUT, AND TO OBSERVE, ANY SUCH RESTRICTIONS.
THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES. THE SECURITIES MENTIONED IN THIS DOCUMENT HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE "U.S. SECURITIES ACT") AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR DELIVERED WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OR TO, OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OR BENEFIT OF, U.S. PERSONS WITHIN THE MEANING OF REGULATION S UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT ABSENT REGISTRATION OR EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT. IN ADDITION, THE COMPANY HAS NOT BEEN, AND WILL NOT BE, REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940, AS AMENDED (THE "U.S. INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT") AND, AS SUCH, INVESTORS WILL NOT BE ENTITLED TO THE BENEFITS OF THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT. NO OFFER, PURCHASE, SALE OR TRANSFER OF THE SHARES MAY BE MADE EXCEPT UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH WILL NOT RESULT IN THE COMPANY BEING REQUIRED TO REGISTER AS AN INVESTMENT COMPANY UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT. THIS DOCUMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY, NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY SALE OF THESE SECURITIES IN ANY STATE IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. THERE WILL BE NO PUBLIC OFFER OF THE SECURITIES IN THE UNITED STATES OR IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION.
THIS PRESS RELEASE AND THE OFFERING WHEN MADE ARE ONLY ADDRESSED TO AND DIRECTED IN MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA (THE "EEA") AT PERSONS WHO ARE "QUALIFIED INVESTORS" WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 2 (E) OF THE PROSPECTUS REGULATION ("QUALIFIED INVESTORS"). FOR THESE PURPOSES, THE EXPRESSION "PROSPECTUS REGULATION" MEANS REGULATION (EU) 2017/1129 AND INCLUDES ANY RELEVANT IMPLEMENTING MEASURE IN THE MEMBER STATE.
SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE PRODUCT GOVERNANCE REQUIREMENTS CONTAINED WITHIN: (A) EU DIRECTIVE 2014/65/EU ON MARKETS IN FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS, AS AMENDED ("MIFID II"); (B) ARTICLES 9 AND 10 OF COMMISSION DELEGATED DIRECTIVE (EU) 2017/593 SUPPLEMENTING MIFID II; AND (C) LOCAL IMPLEMENTING MEASURES (TOGETHER, THE "MIFID II PRODUCT GOVERNANCE REQUIREMENTS"), AND DISCLAIMING ALL AND ANY LIABILITY, WHETHER ARISING IN TORT, CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE, WHICH ANY "MANUFACTURER" (FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE MIFID II PRODUCT GOVERNANCE REQUIREMENTS) MAY OTHERWISE HAVE WITH RESPECT THERETO, THE NOTES HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO A PRODUCT APPROVAL PROCESS, WHICH HAS DETERMINED THAT: (I) THE TARGET MARKET FOR THE NOTES IS ELIGIBLE COUNTERPARTIES AND PROFESSIONAL CLIENTS ONLY, EACH AS DEFINED IN MIFID II; AND (II) ALL CHANNELS FOR DISTRIBUTION OF THE NOTES TO ELIGIBLE COUNTERPARTIES AND PROFESSIONAL CLIENTS ARE APPROPRIATE. ANY PERSON SUBSEQUENTLY OFFERING, SELLING OR RECOMMENDING THE NOTES (A "DISTRIBUTOR") SHOULD TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE MANUFACTURERS' TARGET MARKET ASSESSMENT; HOWEVER, A DISTRIBUTOR SUBJECT TO MIFID II IS RESPONSIBLE FOR UNDERTAKING ITS OWN TARGET MARKET ASSESSMENT IN RESPECT OF THE NOTES (BY EITHER ADOPTING OR REFINING THE MANUFACTURERS' TARGET MARKET ASSESSMENT) AND DETERMINING APPROPRIATE DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS.
THE TARGET MARKET ASSESSMENT IS WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF ANY CONTRACTUAL OR LEGAL SELLING RESTRICTIONS IN RELATION TO ANY OFFERING OF THE NOTES.
FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT, THE TARGET MARKET ASSESSMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE: (A) AN ASSESSMENT OF SUITABILITY OR APPROPRIATENESS FOR THE PURPOSES OF MIFID II; OR (B) A RECOMMENDATION TO ANY INVESTOR OR GROUP OF INVESTORS TO INVEST IN, OR PURCHASE, OR TAKE ANY OTHER ACTION WHATSOEVER WITH RESPECT TO THE NOTES.
THE NOTES ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE OFFERED, SOLD OR OTHERWISE MADE AVAILABLE TO AND SHOULD NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR OTHERWISE MADE AVAILABLE TO ANY RETAIL INVESTOR IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION OF THE EEA OR IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. FOR THESE PURPOSES, A RETAIL INVESTOR MEANS A PERSON WHO IS ONE (OR MORE) OF: (I) A RETAIL CLIENT AS DEFINED IN POINT (11) OF ARTICLE 4(1) OF MIFID II; OR (II) A CUSTOMER WITHIN THE MEANING OF DIRECTIVE (EU) 2016/97, WHERE THAT CUSTOMER WOULD NOT QUALIFY AS A PROFESSIONAL CLIENT AS DEFINED IN POINT (10) OF ARTICLE 4(1) OF MIFID II. CONSEQUENTLY, NO KEY INFORMATION DOCUMENT REQUIRED BY REGULATION (EU) NO 1286/2014, AS AMENDED (THE "PRIIPS REGULATION") FOR OFFERING OR SELLING THE NOTES OR OTHERWISE MAKING THEM AVAILABLE TO RETAIL INVESTORS IN THE EEA OR IN THE UNITED KINGDOM HAS BEEN PREPARED AND THEREFORE OFFERING OR SELLING THE NOTES OR OTHERWISE MAKING THEM AVAILABLE TO ANY RETAIL INVESTOR IN THE EEA OR IN THE UNITED KINGDOM MAY BE UNLAWFUL UNDER THE PRIIPS REGULATION.
The Notes may not be publicly offered, directly or indirectly, in Switzerland within the meaning of the Swiss Financial Services Act ("FinSA") and no application has or will be made to admit the Notes to trading on any trading venue (exchange or multilateral trading facility) in Switzerland. Neither the Series Memorandum nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the Notes constitutes a prospectus pursuant to the FinSA, and neither the Series Memorandum nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the Notes may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland
IN ADDITION, IN THE UNITED KINGDOM THIS PRESS RELEASE IS BEING DISTRIBUTED ONLY TO, AND IS DIRECTED ONLY AT, QUALIFIED INVESTORS (I) WHO HAVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS FALLING WITHIN ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005, AS AMENDED (THE "ORDER") AND QUALIFIED INVESTORS FALLING WITHIN ARTICLE 49(2)(A) TO (D) OF THE ORDER, AND (II) TO WHOM IT MAY OTHERWISE LAWFULLY BE COMMUNICATED (ALL SUCH PERSONS TOGETHER BEING REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT PERSONS"). THIS PRESS RELEASE MUST NOT BE ACTED ON OR RELIED ON (I) IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, BY PERSONS WHO ARE NOT RELEVANT PERSONS, AND (II) IN ANY MEMBER STATE OF THE EEA OTHER THAN THE UNITED KINGDOM, BY PERSONS WHO ARE NOT QUALIFIED INVESTORS. ANY INVESTMENT OR INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH THIS PRESS RELEASE RELATES IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO (A) RELEVANT PERSONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND WILL BE ENGAGED IN ONLY WITH RELEVANT PERSONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND (B) QUALIFIED INVESTORS IN MEMBER STATES OF THE EEA (OTHER THAN THE UNITED KINGDOM).
ANY DECISION TO PURCHASE ANY OF THE NOTES SHOULD ONLY BE MADE ON THE BASIS OF AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW BY A PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR OF THE COMPANY'S PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION. NONE OF THE MANAGERS OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES ACCEPTS ANY LIABILITY ARISING FROM THE USE OF OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION AS TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF, THIS PRESS RELEASE OR THE COMPANY'S PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE IN ITS ENTIRETY WITHOUT NOTICE UP TO THE CLOSING DATE.
EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR SHOULD PROCEED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT IT MUST BEAR THE ECONOMIC RISK OF AN INVESTMENT IN THE NOTES OR THE SHARES TO BE ISSUED UPON CONVERSION OF THE NOTES (TOGETHER WITH THE NOTES, THE "SECURITIES"). NONE OF THE COMPANY OR THE MANAGERS MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION AS TO (I) THE SUITABILITY OF THE SECURITIES FOR ANY PARTICULAR INVESTOR, (II) THE APPROPRIATE ACCOUNTING TREATMENT AND POTENTIAL TAX CONSEQUENCES OF INVESTING IN THE SECURITIES OR (III) THE FUTURE PERFORMANCE OF THE SECURITIES EITHER IN ABSOLUTE TERMS OR RELATIVE TO COMPETING INVESTMENTS.
THE MANAGERS ARE ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY AND NO ONE ELSE IN CONNECTION WITH THE NOTES AND WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE TO ANY OTHER PERSON FOR PROVIDING THE PROTECTIONS AFFORDED TO CLIENTS OF THE MANAGERS OR FOR PROVIDING ADVICE IN RELATION TO THE SECURITIES.
EACH OF THE COMPANY, THE MANAGERS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY OBLIGATION OR UNDERTAKING TO UPDATE, REVIEW OR REVISE ANY STATEMENT CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE WHETHER AS A RESULT OF NEW INFORMATION, FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS OR OTHERWISE.
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