ArcelorMittal offers $2 bn shares at discount to accelerate debt reduction

ArcelorMittal , the world's largest steelmaker, is issuing $2 billion of shares and convertible notes at a deep discount to accelerate debt reduction plans that have been slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company said on Tuesday it will sell $750 million of shares at a price of $9.27, equivalent to 8.57 euros. That is near to their value at Monday's close, when ArcelorMittal had said it would issue new shares, but some 17% down from Friday.

On Tuesday, the shares were trading 4.6% lower on the day at 8.23 euros at 0800 GMT, making them the worst performers in the FTSEurofirst300 index <.FTEU3> of leading European shares.

ArcelorMittal will also issue $1.25 billion of mandatory convertible notes with a maturity of three years and paying an annual coupon on 5.5%. The conversion price will be between $9.27 and $10.89.

The share and convertibles issue is designed to accelerate the reduction of ArcelorMittal's net debt towards $7 billion. In February, before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, it had said it wanted to reach this target by the end of 2020.

The company's net debt stood at $9.5 billion at the end of March, up from $9.3 billion at the end of December.

It had cash and cash equivalents of $10 billion at the end of March, supplemented by a new $3 billion credit facility fully executed on May 5. ArcelorMittal said this would now be partially cancelled.

ArcelorMittal said last week that its shipments in the second quarter would be between a quarter and a third lower than those of the first quarter, with profit sharply down, as demand for steel dropped, particularly from automakers.

The Mittal family, which owns 37.38% of the company, will buy $200 million of the new issue, with a 180-day lock-up period.

Settlement of the share offering will be on or around May 14 and of the convertible notes offering on or around May 18. ArcelorMittal has applied to have the convertibles listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan and Societe Generale are acting as joint global coordinators and joint bookrunners of the offerings

 

(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; editing by Barbara Lewis)