(9) CONVERTIBLE NOTES

On January 17, 2018, the Company issued and sold $690.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 1.0% Convertible Notes (“Notes”) with a maturity date of January 15, 2025 (the “Maturity Date”). The Notes accrue interest at a fixed rate of 1.0% per year, payable semi-annually in arrears on January 15 and July 15 of each year, beginning on July 15, 2018. The net proceeds from the issuance of the Notes were approximately $671.1 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and the offering expenses payable by the Company.

Prior to July 15, 2024, the Notes are convertible only upon the occurrence of certain events and during certain periods, as set forth in the indenture governing the Notes (the “Indenture”), and thereafter, until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the Maturity Date. The Notes will be convertible into cash, shares of the Company’s common stock (plus, if applicable, cash in lieu of any fractional share), or a combination of cash and shares of the Company’s common stock, at the Company’s election. On or after July 15, 2024, until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date, holders may convert their Notes at any time.

It is the Company’s intent and policy to settle all conversions through combination settlement. The initial conversion rate for the Notes is 13.2569 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $75.43 per share of the Company’s common stock. The conversion rate is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain specified events but will not be adjusted for accrued and unpaid interest. In addition, holders of the Notes who convert their Notes in connection with a “make-whole fundamental change” (as defined in the Indenture), will, under certain circumstances, be entitled to an increase in the conversion rate.

If the Company undergoes a “fundamental change” (as defined in the Indenture), holders of the Notes may require the Company to repurchase for cash all or part of their Notes at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest.

The Notes are the Company’s senior unsecured obligations and (i) rank senior in right of payment to all of its future indebtedness that is expressly subordinated in right of payment to the Notes; equal in right of payment to all of the Company’s future liabilities that are not so subordinated, unsecured indebtedness; (ii) are effectively junior to all of our existing and future secured indebtedness and other secured obligations, to the extent of the value of the assets securing that indebtedness and other secured obligations; and (iii) are structurally subordinated to all indebtedness and other liabilities of the Company’s subsidiaries.

While the Notes are currently classified on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets at March 31, 2018 as long-term, the future convertibility and resulting balance sheet classification of this liability will be monitored at each quarterly reporting date and will be analyzed dependent upon market prices of the Company’s common stock during the prescribed measurement periods. In the event that the holders of the Notes have the election to convert the Notes at any time during the prescribed measurement period, the Notes would then be considered a current obligation and classified as such.

Under current accounting guidance, an entity must separately account for the liability and equity components of convertible debt instruments (such as the Notes) that may be settled entirely or partially in cash upon conversion in a manner that reflects the issuer’s economic interest cost. The liability component of the instrument was valued in a manner that reflects the market interest rate for a similar nonconvertible instrument at the date of issuance. The initial carrying value of the liability component of $495.1 million was calculated using a 6.0% assumed borrowing rate. The equity component of $194.9 million, representing the conversion option, was determined by deducting the fair value of the liability component from the par value of the Notes and is recorded in additional paid-in capital on the condensed consolidated balance sheet at the issuance date. That equity component is treated as a discount on the liability component of the Notes, which is amortized over the seven-year term of the Notes using the effective interest rate method. The equity component is not re-measured as long as it continues to meet the conditions for equity classification.

The Company allocated the total transaction costs of approximately $18.8 million related to the issuance of the Notes to the liability and equity components of the Notes based on their relative values, with $13.1 million being allocated to the discount on the Notes. Transaction costs attributable to the liability component are amortized to interest expense over the seven-year term of the Notes, and transaction costs attributable to the equity component are netted with the equity component in stockholders’ equity.

The Notes do not contain any financial or operating covenants or any restrictions on the payment of dividends, the issuance of other indebtedness or the issuance or repurchase of securities by the Company.

Debt, net of discounts and deferred financing costs at March 31, 2018, consisted of the following:


(In thousands)
Principal	$	690,000
Debt discount, net		(190,206)
Deferred financing costs		(13,106)
Net carrying amount	$	486,688