PETRON Corp. has completed the issuance of $550-million undated unsubordinated capital securities, the Ramon S. Ang-led oil company said on Tuesday, adding that these will be listed in Singapore.
In a disclosure to the local bourse, Petron said that it expects to list the securities on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Ltd. by April 20.
The net proceeds from the issuance, placed at around $547.8 million after the deduction of commissions, will be used by the company to repay debts and for general corporate purposes, it said.
The development comes a week after the company released its final offering circular, which said the perpetual capital securities are in denominations of $200,000 and in integral multiples of $1,000 in excess.
The initial rate of distribution is at 5.95% per annum. Should the company not redeem the securities on the fifth anniversary, the rate of distribution will be reset using then US Treasury rates, the initial credit spread, and a step-up rate of 2.5% per annum.
Petron, the country’s biggest oil firm, said that the securities do not have a fixed redemption rate because they are perpetual. It clarified that these will not be registered under the Securities Act, and may not be offered or sold within the US.
“The Securities may be sold in other jurisdictions (including the United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and the Philippines) only in compliance with applicable laws and regulations,” the company added.
Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. Ltd. acted as the trustee, registrar, principal paying agent, calculation agent and transfer agent for the issuance.
PROJECTED CAPEX
Based on its final offer circular, the oil refining and marketing company also gave details about its 2021 projected consolidated capital expenditure (capex) projects, which stands at P11.05 billion or $230 million.
The amount, which will be raised through a combination of internal cash generation and external financing sources, will mainly fund ongoing capex projects, the firm said. The planned capex is based on its management’s estimates and have not been appraised by an independent organization.
It said the budget might change “as projects are reviewed or contracts entered into and are subject to various factors.”
These factors include market conditions, the general state of the Philippine and Malaysian economies, the company’s operating performance and cash flow, and its ability to obtain financing on terms satisfactory to management, it said.
Petron described itself as a leading player in Malaysia, having entered the foreign market in 2012 by buying US-based ExxonMobil’s downstream oil business in the Asian country.
Petron operates the Philippines’ sole oil refinery, which was temporarily placed on an economic shutdown earlier this year to reduce losses due to weak margins.
Earlier, the company reported a net loss of P11.4 billion in 2020, swinging from a net income of P2.3 billion a year earlier as sales dropped due to the global health emergency.
Petron shares at the local bourse inched down by 0.63% or two centavos to close at P3.16 apiece on Tuesday. — Angelica Y. Yang
