28 Jan, 2021

BioGroup LCD prices and allocates €2.5B bond, loan refinancing

The €2.5 billion bond and loan refinancing from Biogroup LCD has priced and allocated. Final terms leave the deal split between a €1.45 billion seven-year term loan priced at E+350 with a 0% floor offered at 99.75, an €800 million 3.375% secured bond due February 2028 and a €250 million 5% unsecured bond due February 2029. All tranches priced tight of terms given at launch. These were for a €1.4 billion to €1.65 billion term loan guided at E+375-400 with a 0% floor offered at 99.75, which was then revised to a €1.5 billion TLB at E+350-375 with a 0% floor at 99.75. On the bonds, the secured deal was initially guided at €750 million with initial price thoughts, or IPTs, of high 3% and talk of 3.25%-3.5%. The size of the unsecured bond is unchanged from initial guidance, though final pricing compares with IPTs of mid-5% and price talk of 5%-5.25%.

J.P. Morgan (B&D) is the sole physical bookrunner on the bonds and is also a global coordinator and joint bookrunner alongside BNP Paribas and Natixis. BNP Paribas, J.P. Morgan and Natixis are all global coordinators and physical bookrunners on the loan. In all, the financing will take out a €2.015 billion first-lien term loan, some €304.5 million of second-lien and €218.2 million of PIK notes.

The portability leverage test was reduced from 6.75x to 6.25x during marketing.

The company is a France-based independent laboratory group operating testing services across 742 sites across France and Flanders. In the 12 months to the end of September, the company reported pro forma adjusted EBITDA of €454.4 million, with a net debt to pro forma adjusted EBITDA ratio of 5.1x and EBITDA margin of 33.4%. Leverage rises to 6x when using a pro forma adjusted EBITDA figure (excluding the impact of COVID-19) of €386.2 million. Biogroup has been granted the status of critical national infrastructure in France and Belgium, and so it has been allowed to remain fully operational throughout periods of lockdown.

Terms:

Borrower CAB
Issue €1.45 billion term loan B
UoP Refinancing
Spread E+350
Euribor floor 0%
Price 99.75
Tenor Seven-years
YTM 3.59%
Call protection 101 soft call for six months
Corporate ratings B-/B2/B
Facility ratings B-/B2/B+
Recovery ratings 3, 3
Financial covenants No
Admin agent Natixis
Px Talk E+375-400, 0%, 99.75 revised to E+350-375, 0%, 99.75
Sponsor Private
Arrangers BNPP, Citi, JPM, NAT, CACIB, DB, GS, HSBC
Notes Sized guided at €1.4B-€1.65B at launch.

Issuer CAB
Ratings B-/B2/B+
Amount €800 million
Issue Fixed rate secured notes
Coupon 3.375%
Price 100
Yield 3.375%
Spread +409bps over 0.5% due Feb. 15, 2028
Maturity Feb. 1 2028
Call Make whole call at B+50bps prior to Feb. 1, 2024
Maturity Feb. 1, 2028
Trade Jan. 28, 2021
Settle Feb. 9, 2021
Physical bookrunner JPM
Global Co, jt books JPM, BNPP, Nat
Joint bookrunners Citi, CACIB, DB, GS, HSBC
Price talk IPTs of high 3s, talk of 3.25%-3.5%
Notes Size guided at €750 million at launch.

Issuer Laboratoire Eimer
Ratings CCC/Caa1/CCC+
Amount €250 million
Issue Fixed rate senior notes
Coupon 5%
Price 100
Yield 5%
Spread +567 DBR 0.25% due Feb. 15 2029
Maturity Feb. 1 2029
Call Make whole call at B+50bps prior to Feb. 1, 2024
Trade Jan. 28, 2021
Settle Feb. 9, 2021
Physical bookrunner JPM
Global Co, jt books JPM, BNPP, Nat
Joint bookrunners Citi, CACIB, DB, GS, HSBC
Price talk IPTs of mid-5%, price talk at 5%-5.25%
Notes

Updated at 5:15 pm EDT on Jan. 28 to reflect Citi as arranger on €1.45 billion term loan.