HanesBrands Inc. on November 29 announced that it will use its strong cash position to reduce long-term debt this year by another $250 million and reduce interest expense in 2013 by prepaying half of its $500 million of 8 percent senior notes, due 2016, a year earlier than originally anticipated.
The redemption of the bonds on December 27 will reduce the company’s total bond debt to $1.25 billion, and the company’s year-end long-term debt is expected to be less than 2.5 times earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, a significant achievement in leverage reduction since the company’s 2006 spinoff.
By using a make-whole provision that is part of the bond indenture, the company has determined that it can prepay its 8 percent notes now with no additional interest and call premiums than if it waited to retire the bonds in December 2013.
“We have a substantial amount of cash on hand now as a result of strong cash flow in 2012, we are committed to reducing our debt and we have determined there is no benefit or need to wait to start prepaying our 8 percent notes,” Hanes chairman and CEO Richard A. Noll said. “With this debt payment, the era of being a highly leveraged company is a thing of the past.”
The company expects to take a pretax charge of approximately $34 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 for bond prepayment expenses due through December 15, 2013, and for acceleration of noncash unamortized debt costs.
For more information, visit www.hanesbrands.com.
