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Debt
6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
Debt

NOTE H – DEBT

The following table summarizes Ashland’s current and long-term debt as of the dates reported in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

 

(In millions)

 

March 31, 2020

 

 

September 30, 2019

 

4.750% notes, due 2022

 

$

410

 

 

$

1,080

 

2.00% Senior Notes, due 2028 (Euro 500 million principal)

 

 

551

 

 

 

 

6.875% notes, due 2043

 

 

282

 

 

 

374

 

Term loan A, due 2025

 

 

250

 

 

 

 

Accounts receivable securitizations

 

 

209

 

 

 

144

 

6.50% junior subordinated notes, due 2029

 

 

54

 

 

 

54

 

Revolving credit facility

 

 

240

 

 

 

 

Other (a)

 

 

10

 

 

 

15

 

Total debt

 

 

2,006

 

 

 

1,667

 

Short-term debt (includes current portion of long-term debt)

 

 

(471

)

 

 

(166

)

Long-term debt (less current portion)

 

$

1,535

 

 

$

1,501

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(a)

Includes $15 million and $12 million of debt issuance cost discounts as of March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019, respectively. Additionally, as of both March 31, 2020 and September 30, 2019, Other included a European short-term loan facility with an outstanding balance of $22 million. 

 

The scheduled aggregate maturities of long-term debt by year (including the current portion and excluding debt issuance costs) are as follows as of March 31, 2020: zero remaining in 2020, zero in 2021, $421 million in 2022, $22 million in 2023 and $44 million in 2024.

Ashland Financing Activities

 

Credit Agreements and Refinancing

During January 2020, Ashland LLC and Ashland Services B.V., indirect wholly owned subsidiaries of Ashland, entered into a new senior unsecured credit agreement (the 2020 Credit Agreement) with a group of lenders, replacing the 2017 Credit Agreement.  The 2020 Credit Agreement provides for (i) a $600 million unsecured five-year revolving credit facility (the revolving credit facility) and (ii) a $250 million unsecured five-year term loan facility (the term loan facility).  The 2020 Credit Agreement is guaranteed by Ashland Global Holdings Inc. and Ashland Chemco Inc., and the obligations of Ashland Services B.V. under the revolving credit facility are guaranteed by Ashland LLC.

The 2020 Credit Agreement contains financial covenants for leverage and interest coverage ratios akin to those in effect under the 2017 Credit Agreement. The 2020 Credit Agreement contains usual and customary representations, warranties and affirmative and negative covenants, including financial covenants for leverage and interest coverage ratios, limitations on liens, additional indebtedness, further negative pledges, investments, mergers, sale of assets and restricted payments, and other customary limitations.

Ashland incurred $4 million of new debt issuance costs in connection with the 2020 Credit Agreement, of which $1 million was expensed immediately during the three and six months ended March 31, 2020 within the net interest and other expense caption of the Statements of Consolidated Comprehensive Income (Loss). The remaining balance is amortized using either the effective interest method or straight-line method. Additionally, as a result of the termination of the 2017 Credit Agreement, Ashland recognized a $1 million charge for the accelerated amortization of previously capitalized debt issuance costs during the three and six months ended March 31, 2020, which is included in the net interest and other expense caption of the Statements of Consolidated Comprehensive Income (Loss).

Note Issuance and existing notes tender

During January 2020, a subsidiary of Ashland, Ashland Services B.V., completed the issuance of 2.00% senior unsecured notes due 2028 with an aggregate principal amount of €500 million (the 2028 Notes).  The notes are senior unsecured obligations of Ashland Services B.V and initially guaranteed on an unsecured basis by each of Ashland Global Holdings Inc. and Ashland LLC.  Ashland used the net proceeds of the offering (after deducting initial purchasers’ discounts and other fees and expenses), together with the proceeds of the new term loan facility and other funds of Ashland LLC or its subsidiaries, to repurchase the existing notes described below in cash tender offers, and to pay fees and expenses associated therewith.

Ashland incurred $8 million of new debt issuance costs in connection with the 2028 Notes, which is amortized using the effective interest method over the Notes’ term.

Open market repurchases of 4.750% notes due 2022

During the three and six months ended March 31, 2020, Ashland executed open market repurchases of its 4.750% notes due 2022 (the 2022 Notes). As a result of these repurchases, the carrying values of the 2022 notes was reduced by $670 million. Ashland recognized a $5 million charge related to accelerated accretion on debt discounts and accelerated amortization of previously capitalized debt issuance costs, which is included in the net interest and other expense caption of the Statements of Consolidated Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020.

Open market repurchases of 6.875% notes due 2043

During the three and six months ended March 31, 2020, Ashland executed open market repurchases of its 6.875% notes due 2043 (the 2043 Notes). As a result of these repurchases, the carrying values of the 2043 notes was reduced by $92 million. Ashland recognized a $1 million charge related to accelerated accretion on debt premiums and accelerated amortization previously capitalized debt issuance costs, which is included in the net interest and other expense caption of the Statements of Consolidated Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020.

Open market repurchases of 6.500% Junior Subordinated Debentures due 2029

During the three and six months ended March 31, 2020, Ashland executed open market repurchases of Hercules LLC’s 6.500% notes due 2029 (the 2029 Junior Debentures). As a result of these repurchases, the carrying values of the 2029 notes was reduced by $2 million.

Total premiums paid for all open market purchases noted above were $59 million, which is in included in the net interest and other expenses caption of the Statements of Consolidated Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the three and six months ended March 31, 2020.

Available borrowing capacity

The borrowing capacity remaining under the 2020 $600 million Revolving Credit Facility was $338 million due to an outstanding balance of $240 million, as well as a reduction of $22 million for letters of credit outstanding as of March 31, 2020. Ashland's total borrowing capacity at March 31, 2020 was $339 million, which included $1 million of available capacity from the two accounts receivable securitization facilities.

Covenants related to current Ashland debt agreements

Ashland's debt contains usual and customary representations, warranties and affirmative and negative covenants, including financial covenants for leverage and interest coverage ratios, limitations on liens, additional subsidiary indebtedness, restrictions on subsidiary distributions, investments, mergers, sale of assets and restricted payments and other customary limitations. As of March 31, 2020, Ashland is in compliance with all debt agreement covenant restrictions.

The maximum consolidated net leverage ratio permitted under Ashland's most recent credit agreement (the 2020 Credit Agreement) is 4.0. At March 31, 2020, Ashland’s calculation of the consolidated net leverage ratio was 3.1.

The minimum required consolidated interest coverage ratio under the 2020 Credit Agreement during its entire duration is 3.0. At March 31, 2020, Ashland’s calculation of the interest coverage ratio was 7.7.