Saturday, May 2, 2009

ArcelorMittal to raise $4 bn via public offerings

Steel behemoth ArcelorMittal, which posted consecutive quarterly losses, today said it would raise up to $4 billion through issue of securities as part of efforts to strengthen its balance sheet among other things. The company would look to sell about 140 million common shares through public offerings to raise the amount. "Total aggregate proceeds from the offerings are about $3.5 billion or $4 billion, in each case before deduction of underwriting discounts and commissions," the company said in a statement. The company intends to use the proceeds of common stock offering for general corporate purposes and to strengthen its balance sheet and the proceeds of the convertible senior note offering to lengthen its debt maturity profile and refinance existing indebtedness, it added. ArcelorMittal also said it would be pricing its public offering of $700 million aggregate principal amount of 5 per cent convertible senior notes due May 15, 2014. The offering is scheduled to close on May 6, 2009, it added. The steel giant said it has agreed to sell 125.1 million common shares at a public offering price of euro 17.10 each. The company has granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 15.7 million common shares in the 30 day period following the date here of, it added. ArcelorMittal yesterday posted loss of $1.1 billion for the first quarter ended March 2009. In the year-ago period, it had a net income of $2.4 billion.

Source: Business Standard

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