25th Jan 2008 07:01
X5 Retail Group N.V.25 January 2008 NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN, INTO OR FROM AUSTRALIA, CANADA OR JAPAN SYNDICATION OF USD 1.1 BILLION 3-YEAR LOAN LAUNCHED Amsterdam, 25 January 2008 - X5 Retail Group N.V. (the 'Company' or the 'Group'), Russia's largest food retailer in terms of sales (LSE ticker: "FIVE"),announced today that syndication for the USD 1,100,000,000 3 year Term LoanFacility (the 'Facility') for the Company has been launched by BNP Paribas,CALYON, HSBC Bank plc, ING Bank N.V. and Raiffeisen Zentralbank Osterreich AG(RZB) (each a "Bookrunner"). The Facility was fully pre-funded by theBookrunners. There will be a bank meeting held in London on January 29, 2008. Banks are invited to join the Facility at one of the following three levels: Title Amount Lead Arranger USD 75,000,000 or more Arranger USD 50,000,000 Co-Arranger USD 25,000,000 Societe Generale joined the transaction prior to the launch of syndication asMandated Lead Arranger (together with the Bookrunners, the "Initial MandatedLead Arrangers"). As X5 Retail Group announced on 18 December 2007, the Facility pays a margin of225 bps p.a. over LIBOR out of the box for the first year. Subsequently, themargin will move in accordance with a Net Debt/EBITDA grid with a maximum marginat the top of the grid of 200 bps p.a. over LIBOR. For further details please contact Anna Kareva Simon Allocca X5 Retail Group BNP Paribas IR Director Tel.: +7 (495) 980-2729, ext. 22 162 Tel: + 44 20 7595 6562 e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Note to Editors: X5 Retail Group N.V. is Russia's largest food retailer in terms of sales. TheCompany was created as a result of a merger between Pyaterochka (soft discounterchain) and Perekrestok (supermarket chain) on 18 May 2006. As of 31 December 2007, the Group had 674 Company managed soft discount storeslocated in Moscow (309), St. Petersburg (244) and other Russian areas (121), 179Company managed supermarkets across Central Russia and Ukraine, including 105stores in Moscow (Moscow region and Yaroslavl region), and 15 Company managedhypermarkets. As of 31 December 2007, X5's franchisees operated 688 stores across Russia andKazakhstan. The Group's net sales for the first nine months 2007 reached USD 3,618 million,an increase of 50% year-on-year. Gross profit for the period totaled USD 946million, EBITDA amounted to USD 311 million. X5 Retail Group's full year 2007net retail sales surged 53% year-on-year to 5,284 mln. Forward looking statements: This announcement includes statements that are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements". These forward-looking statements can beidentified by the fact that they do not only relate to historical or currentevents. Forward-looking statements often use words such as" anticipate","target", " expect", "estimate", "intend", "expected", "plan", "goal" believe",or other words of similar meaning. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty becausethey relate to future events and circumstances, a number of which are beyond X5Retail Group N.V.'s control. As a result, actual future results may differmaterially from the plans, goals and expectations set out in theseforward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of X5 Retail Group N.V.speak only as at the date of this announcement. Save as required by anyapplicable laws or regulations, X5 Retail Group N.V. undertakes no obligationpublicly to release the results of any revisions to any forward-lookingstatements in this document that may occur due to any change in its expectationsor to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this document. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
X5 Retail