Alimentation Couche-Tard Closes $1 Billion Debt Offering, Including Inaugural Green Bonds
LAVAL, QC, May 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. ("Couche-Tard" or the "Company") (TSX: ATD.A) (TSX: ATD.B) announced today that it has successfully closed a private debt offering consisting of two tranches of notes (together, the "Notes"):
- US$650 million aggregate principal amount of 3.439% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2041 ("2041 Notes")
- US$350 million aggregate principal amount of 3.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2051 ("Green Bonds")
The Notes are senior unsecured obligations of Couche-Tard and rank equally and pari passu with Couche-Tard's current and future unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness and are guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by certain of Couche-Tard's wholly-owned subsidiaries who are guarantors under Couche-Tard's senior credit facilities.
Couche-Tard intends to use the net proceeds from the sale of the 2041 Notes, combined with cash on hand, to redeem all of its US$1 billion outstanding Senior Unsecured Notes due July 26, 2022. The Green Bonds, the first of their kind by a convenience and fuel retailer, will be used to further the Company's commitment towards driving a more responsible future.
Brian Hannasch, President and CEO of Couche-Tard said: "This initiative marks an important milestone in our journey to create sustainable value for all our stakeholders. We have already set our sights high by establishing ambitious 2025 sustainability targets and are now taking a further step towards providing greater transparency and engagement on our efforts to have a positive impact on the world around us."
As outlined in the Couche-Tard Green Bond Framework, an amount equal to the net proceeds of the Green Bonds will be used to finance or refinance, in whole or in part, Couche-Tard's new or existing environmentally friendly projects and community initiatives in six categories: clean transportation; energy efficiency; renewable energy; pollution prevention and control; sustainable water and wastewater management; and green buildings.
"We are pleased to announce the successful closing of this new debt offering and proud to add our first ever green bonds to our capital structure," said Claude Tessier, Chief Financial Officer of Couche–Tard. "This transaction improves the Company's already sound balance sheet by extending our debt maturities at attractive rates, while also financing projects that support Couche-Tard's aim to drive a low carbon and sustainable future."
Ina Strand, Chief People Officer, who leads Couche-Tard's efforts in sustainability, added: "With the launch of our second sustainability report in 2020, we created a more defined framework and strengthened how we incorporate sustainability in our way of thinking and decision-making, making it now a lens to our business and pushing forward our commitment to actionable results."
Couche-Tard plans to issue an annual report on the use of net proceeds from the Green Bonds and its expected environmental impact. ISS ESG, one of the world's leading rating agencies in the field of sustainable investment, provided a second party opinion on the environmental benefits of the Couche-Tard Green Bond Framework as well as its alignment with the four core components of the Green Bond Principles, 2018 as administered by the International Capital Market Association.
About Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
Couche-Tard is a global leader in convenience and fuel retail, operating in 26 countries and territories, with more than 14,200 stores, of which approximately 10,800 offer road transportation fuel. With its well-known Couche-Tard and Circle K banners, it is the largest independent convenience store operator in terms of the number of company-operated stores in the United States and it is a leader in the convenience store industry and road transportation fuel retail in Canada, Scandinavia, the Baltics, as well as in Ireland. It also has an important presence in Poland and Hong Kong. Approximately 135,000 people are employed throughout its network.
Forward-Looking Statements
The statements set forth in this press release, which describes Couche-Tard's objectives, projections, estimates, expectations or forecasts, may constitute forward looking statements within the meaning of securities legislation. Positive or negative verbs such as "believe", "can", "shall", "intend", "expect", "estimate", "assume" and other related expressions are used to identify such statements. Couche-Tard would like to point out that, by their very nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties such that its results, or the measures it adopts, could differ materially from those indicated in or underlying these statements, or could have an impact on the degree of realization of a particular projection. Major factors that may lead to a material difference between Couche Tard's actual results and the projections or expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements include the effects of the integration of acquired businesses and the ability to achieve projected synergies, uncertainty related to the duration and severity of the current COVID-19 pandemic, fluctuations in margins on motor fuel sales, competition in the convenience store and retail motor fuel industries, exchange rate variations, the intended use of proceeds thereof and potential changes in markets conditions, and such other risks as described in detail from time to time in the reports filed by Couche-Tard with securities regulatory authorities in Canada. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Couche-Tard disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking information in this release is based on information available as of the date of the release.
SOURCE Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
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