Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited take no responsibility for the contents of this announcement, make no representation as to its accuracy or completeness and expressly disclaim any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising from or in reliance upon the whole or any part of the contents of this announcement.

This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The securities referred to herein will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act ("Regulation S")) absent registration, except pursuant to an exemption from, or a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act. Any public offering of securities to be made in the United States will be made by means of a prospectus that may be obtained from the Company and will contain detailed information about the Company and its management, as well as financial statements. The Company does not intend to register any part of the securities in the United States.

CIFI Holdings (Group) Co. Ltd.

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(Incorporated in the Cayman Islands with limited liability)

(Stock Code: 00884)

ISSUANCE OF US$255,000,000 6.55% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2024

On 21 March 2019, the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors entered into the Purchase Agreement with the Initial Purchaser in connection with the Notes Issue.

The estimated net proceeds of the Notes Issue, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated expenses payable in connection with the Notes Issue, will amount to approximately US$248.6 million, and the Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Notes Issue for refinancing its existing indebtedness and/or general corporate purposes. The Company may adjust the foregoing plans in response to changing market conditions and, thus, reallocate the use of the net proceeds.

No PRIIPs key information document has been prepared as the Notes are not available to retail in EEA. The Company will seek a listing of the Notes on the Stock Exchange. A confirmation of the eligibility for the listing of the Notes has been received from the Stock Exchange for the listing of the Notes by way of debt issues to professional investors only as described in the offering memorandum. Admission of the Notes to the Stock Exchange is not to be taken as an indication of the merits of the Company or the Notes.

The Board is pleased to announce that on 21 March 2019, the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors entered into the Purchase Agreement with the Initial Purchaser in connection with the Notes Issue.

THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

Date: 21 March 2019

Parties to the Purchase Agreement

  • (a) the Company;

  • (b) the Subsidiary Guarantors; and

  • (c) Standard Chartered Bank.

Standard Chartered Bank is the sole global coordinator, sole bookrunner and sole lead manager in respect of the offer and sale of the Notes as well as the Initial Purchaser of the Notes. To the best of the Directors' knowledge, information and belief, having made all reasonable enquiries, Standard Chartered Bank is an independent third party and not a connected person of the Company and its connected persons.

The Notes and the Subsidiary Guarantees have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act. The Notes and the Subsidiary Guarantees will only be offered and sold by the Initial Purchaser to non-U.S. persons outside of the United States in compliance with Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act, and may not be offered or sold within the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act. None of the Notes and the Subsidiary Guarantees will be offered to the public in Hong Kong.

Notice to Prospective Investors in the United Kingdom

The communication of this announcement and any other document or materials relating to the issue of the Notes offered hereby is not being made, and such documents and/or materials have not been approved, by an authorized person for the purposes of section 21 of the FSMA. Accordingly, such documents and/or materials are not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, the general public in the United Kingdom. The communication of such documents and/or materials as a financial promotion is only being made to those persons in the United Kingdom who have professional experience in matters relating to investments and who fall within the definition of investment professionals (as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Promotion Order), or who fall within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Financial Promotion Order, or who are any other persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be made under the Financial Promotion Order (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). In the United Kingdom, the Notes offered hereby are only available to, and any investment or investment activity to which this announcement relates will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person in the United Kingdom that is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this announcement or any of its contents.

Notice to Prospective Investors in the European Economic Area

This announcement is not a prospectus for the purposes of the European Union's Directive 2003/71/EC (as amended or superseded), as implemented in the member states of the EEA.

PROHIBITION OF SALES TO EEA RETAIL INVESTORS - The Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the EEA. For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (ii) a customer within the meaning of the Insurance Distribution Directive, as amended or superseded, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II. Consequently no key information document required by the PRIIPs for offering or selling the Notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPs.

MiFID II professionals/ECPs-only/No PRIIPs KID - Manufacturer target market (MiFID II product governance) is eligible counterparties and professional clients only (all distribution channels). No PRIIPs key information document has been prepared as not available to retail in EEA.

Principal terms of the Notes

The following is a summary of certain provisions of the Notes and the Indenture. This summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the provisions of the Indenture, the Notes, the Subsidiary Guarantees and the JV Subsidiary Guarantees, if any.

Notes Offered

Subject to certain conditions to completion, the Company will issue the Notes in the aggregate principal amount of US$255,000,000. The Notes will mature on 28 March 2024, unless earlier redeemed in accordance with the terms thereof.

Offering Price

The offering price of the Notes will be 100% of the principal amount of the Notes.

Interest and Interest Payment Dates

The Notes will bear interest from (and including) 28 March 2019 at the rate of 6.55% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on 28 March and 28 September of each year, commencing on 28 September 2019.

Ranking of the Notes

The Notes are (1) general obligations of the Company; (2) senior in right of payment to any existing and future obligations of the Company expressly subordinated in right of payment to the Notes; (3) at least pari passu in right of payment with the 2015 Notes, the 2017 Notes, the January 2018 Notes, the April 2018 Notes, the May 2018 Notes, the September 2018 Notes, the January 2019 Notes, the February 2019 Notes, and all other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness of the Company (subject to any priority rights of such unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness pursuant to applicable law); (4) guaranteed by the Subsidiary Guarantors and the JV Subsidiary Guarantors, if any, on a senior basis, subject to certain limitations; (5) effectively subordinated to the secured obligations of the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the JV Subsidiary Guarantors, to the extent of the value of the assets serving as security therefor; and (6) effectively subordinated to all existing and future obligations of the subsidiaries of the Company which are not providing guarantees under the Notes.

Events of default

The events of default under the Notes include, among others: (1) default in the payment of principal of (or premium, if any, on) the Notes when the same becomes due and payable at maturity, upon acceleration, redemption or otherwise; (2) default in the payment of interest on any Note when the same becomes due and payable, and such default continues for a period of 30 consecutive days; (3) default in the performance or breach of the provisions of certain covenants under the Indenture relating to consolidation, merger and sale of assets, the failure by the Company to make or consummate an offer to purchase in the manner described in the Indenture; (4) the Company or certain of its subsidiaries default in the performance of or breaches any other covenant or agreement in the Indenture or under the Notes (other than a default specified in clause (1), (2) or (3) above) and such default or breach continues for a period of 30 consecutive days after written notice by the trustee or the holders of 25% or more in aggregate principal amount of the Notes; (5) there occurs with respect to any indebtedness of the Company or certain of its subsidiaries having an outstanding principal amount of US$30.0 million or more in the aggregate for such indebtedness (a) an event of default that has caused the holder thereof to declare such indebtedness to be due and payable prior to its stated maturity and/or (b) the failure to make a principal payment when due; (6) one or more final judgments or orders for the payment of money are rendered against the Company or certain of its subsidiaries and are not paid or discharged, and there is a period of 60 consecutive days following entry of the final judgment or order that causes the aggregate amount for all such final judgments or orders outstanding and not paid or discharged against all such persons to exceed US$30.0 million (in excess of amounts which the Company's insurance carriers have agreed to pay under applicable policies) during which a stay of enforcement, by reason of a pending appeal or otherwise, is not in effect; (7) an involuntary case or other proceeding is commenced against the Company or any significant subsidiary (or any group of subsidiaries that together would constitute a significant subsidiary) with respect to it or its debts under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect seeking the appointment of a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator or similar official of the Company or any significant subsidiary (or any group of subsidiaries that together would constitute a significant subsidiary) or for any substantial part of the property and assets of the Company or any significant subsidiary (or any group ofsubsidiaries that together would constitute a significant subsidiary) and such involuntary case or other proceeding remains undismissed and unstayed for a period of 60 consecutive days; or an order for relief is entered against the Company or any significant subsidiary (or any group of subsidiaries that together would constitute a significant subsidiary) under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law as now or hereafter in effect; (8) the Company or any significant subsidiary (or any group of subsidiaries that together would constitute a significant subsidiary) (a) commences a voluntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect, or consents to the entry of an order for relief in an involuntary case under any such law, (b) consents to the appointment of or taking possession by a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator or similar official of the Company or any significant subsidiary (or any group of subsidiaries that together would constitute a significant subsidiary) or for all or substantially all of the property and assets of the Company or any significant subsidiary (or any group of subsidiaries that together would constitute a significant subsidiary) or (c) effects any general assignment for the benefit of creditors; or (9) any Subsidiary Guarantor or JV Subsidiary Guarantor denies or disaffirms its obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee or JV Subsidiary Guarantee or, except as permitted by the Indenture, any Subsidiary Guarantee or JV Subsidiary Guarantee is determined to be unenforceable or invalid or shall for any reason cease to be in full force and effect.

If an event of default (other than an event of default specified in clause (7) or (8) above) occurs and is continuing under the Indenture, the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding, by written notice to the Company (and to the trustee if such notice is given by the holders), may, and the trustee at the written request of such holders shall, subject to receiving indemnity and/or security to its satisfaction, declare the principal of, premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes to be immediately due and payable. Upon a declaration of acceleration, such principal of, premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest shall be immediately due and payable. If an event of default specified in clause (7) or (8) above occurs with respect to the Company or any significant subsidiary (or any group of subsidiaries that together would constitute a significant subsidiary), the principal of, premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes then outstanding shall automatically become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any holder.

Covenants

The Notes, the Indenture and the Subsidiary Guarantees will limit the Company's ability and the ability of certain of its subsidiaries to, among other things:

  • (a) incur or guarantee additional indebtedness and issue disqualified or preferred stock;

  • (b) declare dividends on their capital stock or purchase or redeem capital stock;

  • (c) make investments or other specified restricted payments;

  • (d) issue or sell capital stock of certain of its subsidiaries;

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Disclaimer

CIFI Holdings Group Co. Ltd. published this content on 22 March 2019 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 21 March 2019 23:59:02 UTC