Air Liquide Said to Seek Extension of 1 Billion-Euro Credit Line

Air Liquide Said to Seek Extension of 1 Billion-Euro Credit Line

By Stephen Morris - Nov 1, 2013 4:56 PM GMT+0100 Bloomberg

Stock Chart for Air Liquide SA (AI) Air Liquide SA (AI), the French maker of industrial gases, is seeking to extend the maturity of a 1 billion-euro ($1.4 billion) credit line three years before its maturity, according to three people with knowledge of the request.

The company has asked lenders for a five-year extension of the facility, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. The Paris-based firm is offering to pay an interest margin of 25 basis points, or 0.25 percentage point, more than benchmark rates, 20 basis points lower than it paid on the existing debt.

Air Liquide joins Electricite de France SA and Pernod Ricard SA in seeking to capitalize on competition among banks keen to lend to the most creditworthy companies. The interest margin paid by Europe’s investment-grade borrowers fell to an average of 61 basis points this year, the lowest since an average 75 basis points paid in 2007, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

A spokeswoman for Air Liquide, who asked not to be named citing company policy, declined to comment on the financing.

To contact the reporter on this story: Stephen Morris in London at smorris39@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Faris Khan at fkhan33@bloomberg.net

Air Liquide annonce demander une prorogation de 1 milliard d'euros de ligne de crédit

By Stephen Morris - Nov 1, 2013 4:56 PM GMT+0100 Bloomberg Par Stephen Morris - 1 novembre 2013 16h56 GMT +0100 Bloomberg

Air Liquide SA (AI) , the French maker of industrial gases, is seeking to extend the maturity of a 1 billion-euro ($1.4 billion) credit line three years before its maturity, according to three people with knowledge of the request. Air Liquide SA (AI) , le fabricant français de gaz industriels, cherche à étendre la maturité d'un milliard d'euros (1,4 milliard de dollars) de sa ligne de crédit de trois ans avant son échéance, selon  trois personnes ayant connaissance de la demande.

The company has asked lenders for a five-year extension of the facility, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. La société a demandé aux prêteurs une prolongation de cinq ans ont déclaré les personnes qui ont demandé à ne pas être identifiées parce que les discussions sont privées. The Paris-based firm is offering to pay an interest margin of 25 basis points, or 0.25 percentage point, more than benchmark rates, 20 basis points lower than it paid on the existing debt. L'entreprise, basée à Paris offre de payer une marge d'intérêt de 25 points de base, ou 0,25 point de pourcentage, en plus de taux de référence, de 20 points de base inférieur à celui payé sur la dette existante.

Air Liquide joins Electricite de France SA and Pernod Ricard SA in seeking to capitalize on competition among banks keen to lend to the most creditworthy companies. Air Liquide se joint à Electricité de France SA et Pernod Ricard SA en cherchant à capitaliser sur la concurrence entre les banques désireuses de prêter aux entreprises les plus solvables. The interest margin paid by Europe 's investment-grade borrowers fell to an average of 61 basis points this year, the lowest since an average 75 basis points paid in 2007, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. La marge d'intérêt payé par les emprunteurs européens est tombé à une moyenne de 61 points de base cette année, le plus bas depuis une moyenne de 75 points de base versés en 2007, selon les données compilées par Bloomberg.

A spokeswoman for Air Liquide, who asked not to be named citing company policy, declined to comment on the financing. Une porte-parole d'Air Liquide, qui a demandé à ne pas être nommé en citant la politique de l'entreprise, a refusé de commenter  le financement.

To contact the reporter on this story: Stephen Morris in London at smorris39@bloomberg.net Pour contacter le journaliste sur cette histoire: Stephen Morris à Londres à smorris39@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Faris Khan at fkhan33@bloomberg.net Pour contacter l'éditeur responsable de cette histoire: Faris Khan à fkhan33@bloomberg.net