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Conference 7.286::digital

Title:The Digital way of working
Moderator:QUARK::LIONELON
Created:Fri Feb 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5321
Total number of notes:139771

2438.0. "30mar livewire / $250 million of thirty year debentures" by CTHQ::DWESSELS () Tue Mar 30 1993 16:24

    digital                   Worldwide News                      LIVE WIRE
                                                         
    
                 Digital to issue $250 million of thirty year debentures
    
    Digital has announced that it is issuing $250 million of 7 3/4%
    debentures due April 1, 2023.  Lehman Brothers, Chase Securities, Inc., 
    First Boston Corporation, Merrill Lynch & Co. and J.P. Morgan Securities, 
    Inc. are the managing underwriters for the offering.
    
    The Debentures are priced at 98.512%, to yield 7.88% to maturity. 
    The Debentures are not redeemable and are not entitled to any sinking
    fund.
    
    The Debentures are expected to be rated A-2 by Moody's Investors
    Service and A+ by Standard and Poor's Corp.
    
    
    Brad Allen, director of Investor Relations, said, "The additional
    debt provides access to cash at attractive low rates, and takes advantage
    of our borrowing capacity and strong debt ratings to maintain adequate cash
    balances.  Even with $250 million in new debt, the total debt-to-debt
    plus equity ratio is under 20 percent, which is very conservative.  Our
    balance sheet remains strong overall -- one of the healthiest in the
    industry, as noted by Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's Corp."
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
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2438.1QUARK::LIONELFree advice is worth every centWed Mar 31 1993 00:428
    Yes?  And what would you like to say about this?  I hope that your
    purpose in posting this was more than just an extension of the
    Livewire bulletin board.
    
    The DIGITAL conference is for discussions about working at Digital,
    it is not a bulletin board for arbitrary corporate announcements.
    
    					Steve
2438.2:^)GUCCI::HERBAl is the *first* nameWed Mar 31 1993 01:539
    >QUARK::LIONEL "Free advice is worth every cent"
    
    I think the personal name reflects my reaction. I did not happen to
    look at Livewire lately however I noticed our stock price dived today. 
    
    
    Good point though. I heard that the Mill was being sold and HQ moved
    to Carnobie Lake. Instead of showing your badge every morning, you buy
    a ticket and get your hand stamped.  :^)
2438.3CTHQ::DWESSELSWed Mar 31 1993 13:195
    My intent was to see if anyone knew for what the "cash at attractive low
    rates" was to be used.  Effective marketing such as I've seen discussed
    here?  Product development?  TFSO?  All of the above?
    
    /dlw
2438.4SAHQ::LUBERAtlanta Braves: 1993 World ChampionsWed Mar 31 1993 16:362
    We wouldn't borrow money to support TFSO when it's so much easier to
    whittle the severance package away to nothing.
2438.5Good moveROCKS::SHARMAWed Mar 31 1993 16:496
    Now that the interest rate have come down. It's worth borrowing money
    through this channel if we need it.
    
    I think it's a very good move. 
    
    Perwesh
2438.6STAR::PARKETrue Engineers Combat ObfuscationWed Mar 31 1993 18:452
    Doesn't this strike awful close to the new "brand" release et al ?
    
2438.7MIMS::PARISE_MSouthern, but no comfortWed Mar 31 1993 21:508
    
    Maybe we're supposed to "imagine" it's not going to COST anything
    to borrow a quarter of a billion dollars!
    
    I can't understand TFSOing employees and trimming expenses to reduce 
    costs and then borrowing and incurring debt (interest - an expense).
    Is this something like a corporate bill-consolidation loan?
    
2438.8Perhaps expenses are still higher than revenues?SWAM2::MCCARTHY_LATexas Supply Chainsaw MassacreWed Mar 31 1993 21:530
2438.9Cheap Money may not last longCOMET::KEMPThu Apr 01 1993 15:4010
    I think the cost of the ongoing TFSO's was already charged against
    earnings at the end of FY '93.  I would not expect this issue would be
    to fund additional TFSO's.  
    
    To look at it in a positive way, perhaps it is being assumed that
    interest rates will climb in the future and $250 M at a low rate now
    will be able to generate enough income in the future to cover this and
    return something as well.
    
    billk
2438.10Earnings Charge <> Cash Paid OutBTOVT::SOJDA_LThu Apr 01 1993 16:186
    That's true, the cost of the ongong TFSO's has already been charged
    against earnings.  However, the *cash* required to pay out this charge
    is something else.  It isn't necessarily available and it is possible
    that the purpose of this bond issue is to raise it.
    
    I don't think that's the purpose of the bond issue but it might be.
2438.11More than just a good ratio...FASDER::SHORNThu Apr 01 1993 17:4034
    By the way, this is the third time we did this.  All three have been
    for 250M.  DEC first issued 250M in debt the day the SEC gave an "OK" 
    to issue up to 1B of debt.  The first issue took place at the start of
    Q1.  The second in Q2 and now at the end of Q3.
    
    We have always been told the "standard party line" ...with this we will
    still have a debt to equity ratio (or someother debt to something
    ratio) that is less than the industry, therefore this is good.  What we
    have to keep in mind is that without issuing this debt money, we would
    be eroding the 1B, + or -, that we have in cash.  If we waited until
    our cash position was very low to issue the debt, our financial picture 
    would not be attractive.  Thus, we would have a difficult time trying
    to issue the debt, especially a large chunk of the 1B.  
    
    The way I see it is this.....If we barrowed the money to keep our cash
    flow high, that's A-OK.  If we simply issued the debt because the rates
    were attractive, than I don't feel we needed to increase our expenses
    (the interest rate) for that reason...after all, we really have few
    investments that we can increase that earn a substantial return
    (20 to 30%).
    
    Oh yes, one last footnote.  Keep in mind that not all of that 1B in
    cash is highly liquid.  Some of that came from profits earned in
    foreign countries.  Some countries require that you keep a certain
    percentage of your profits in that country.  Thus, we could not pull
    that money into the US to spend in the US for whatever.  Actually, a
    smart move on the part of the host country.  The host country expects 
    the company to invest in that country (plants, equipment, etc.) or to
    spend it there.
    
    Bottom line, I hope it is all apart of a well thought out, globally
    thoughtout plan.....THAT WORKS!
    
    Scott