8-KMaterial AgreementsFinancial EventsOther Events+1

CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, INC. /MO/ 8-K Report, Material Agreement (Dec 4, 2020)

Filed December 4, 2020For Securities:CHTR

Summary

Charter Communications, Inc. (CHTR) announced on December 4, 2020, through its operating subsidiaries Charter Communications Operating, LLC and Charter Communications Operating Capital Corp., the successful issuance and sale of a significant amount of new senior secured notes. This issuance includes $1 billion in 2.300% Senior Secured Notes due 2032, $650 million in 3.700% Senior Secured Notes due 2051 (which supplement an existing issuance), and $1.35 billion in 3.850% Senior Secured Notes due 2061. These notes are secured by a first-priority lien on the company's assets and are guaranteed by the parent company and other subsidiaries. The primary purpose of this filing is to disclose the material definitive agreement related to this substantial debt offering. The proceeds from this issuance are intended to fund general corporate purposes, which typically include capital expenditures, debt refinancing, and other strategic initiatives. The company has entered into an underwriting agreement with several major investment banks for this offering. This move signals a proactive approach to managing its capital structure and potentially funding future growth or operational needs.

Key Highlights

  • 1Charter Communications Operating, LLC and Charter Communications Operating Capital Corp. issued a total of $3 billion in new senior secured notes across three different maturity dates (2032, 2051, and 2061).
  • 2The notes carry coupon rates of 2.300% for the 2032 maturity, 3.700% for the 2051 maturity, and 3.850% for the 2061 maturity.
  • 3The 2051 notes are an add-on to an existing issuance, increasing the total principal amount of the 3.700% Senior Secured Notes due 2051 to $2.05 billion.
  • 4These notes are senior secured obligations, backed by a first-priority security interest in the issuers' and guarantors' assets.
  • 5The issuance was facilitated through an underwriting agreement with prominent investment banks, including Deutsche Bank Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC.
  • 6The company utilized an automatic shelf registration statement filed in 2017, indicating a pre-existing framework for such capital markets activities.
  • 7The Indenture governing these notes includes covenants that limit the ability of the Issuers to grant liens, sell assets, or merge/consolidate, and outlines customary events of default.

Frequently Asked Questions

Charter Communications, through its operating subsidiaries, issued a total of $3 billion in new senior secured notes: $1 billion in 2.300% Senior Secured Notes due 2032, $650 million in 3.700% Senior Secured Notes due 2051, and $1.35 billion in 3.850% Senior Secured Notes due 2061.

While not explicitly stated as a specific use, the proceeds from such debt issuances typically fund general corporate purposes, which may include capital expenditures, investments, acquisitions, refinancing existing debt, or other strategic initiatives to support the company's operations and growth.

These are Senior Secured Notes, meaning they are secured obligations of the Issuers. They are secured by a pari passu, first-priority security interest in the Issuers' and Guarantors' assets that also secure obligations under the company's credit agreement.

The new notes have the following maturity dates and interest rates: 2.300% Senior Secured Notes due 2032, 3.700% Senior Secured Notes due 2051, and 3.850% Senior Secured Notes due 2061.