GWO has announced:
that an affiliated Delaware Limited Partnership, Great-West Lifeco Finance (Delaware) LP (GWLP), has today filed a preliminary short form prospectus for an offering by GWLP of subordinated debentures. The obligations of GWLP under the debentures will be guaranteed by Lifeco on a subordinated basis.
The subordinated debentures will be offered through a syndicate of underwriters jointly led by BMO Capital Markets, Merrill Lynch Canada and Scotia Capital. The amount and yield of the Debentures will be determined prior to the filing of the final prospectus. The net proceeds will be used by GWLP to provide funding to subsidiaries of Lifeco for general corporate purposes, including to finance the previously announced acquisition of Putnam Investments Trust.
The short-form preliminary prospectus is available on SEDAR. Most of the good stuff – issue size, interest rate – has been left blank, but basically it’s fixed for ten years, floating thereafter. It sort-of matures in 2047, but really matures in 2067. There is also a “replacement capital” covenant that governs how fast they can pay it back.
Frankly issue terms are ferociously complex and quite a bit of time will be required to understand the provisions of this debt. However, one way or another, it looks like the funding push is underway and GWO may now start clarifying the situation with respect to preferreds.
GWO has the following direct issues outstanding: GWO.PR.E, GWO.PR.F, GWO.PR.G, GWO.PR.H, GWO.PR.I & GWO.PR.X. Related issuers are POW, PWF & CL.
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