MILTON, Ga., Feb. 8, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Exide Technologies (Nasdaq:XIDE), a global leader in stored electrical energy solutions, announced today the expiration of its previously announced cash tender offer for its outstanding 10 ½% Senior Secured Notes due 2013 (the "Notes") (CUSIP No. 302051AJ6) and the related consent solicitation to amend the indenture governing the Notes. The tender offer expired at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on February 7, 2011 (the "Expiration Time"). The tender offer and the consent solicitation were made on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase and Consent Solicitation Statement dated January 10, 2011 (the "Offer to Purchase") and the related letter of transmittal and consent.
At or prior to the Expiration Time, $276,278,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes, representing approximately 95.27% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes outstanding, had been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the tender offer. This amount includes the $276,069,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on January 24, 2011 (the "Consent Deadline"), which Notes the Company previously accepted for purchase pursuant to the tender offer and the consent solicitation. The Company has accepted for purchase, and will pay for today, the remaining $209,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes validly tendered after the Consent Deadline but at or prior to the Expiration Time.
The total consideration paid for Notes that were validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Consent Deadline was equal to $1,014 for each $1,000 in principal amount of Notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest on such principal amount of Notes to, but not including, the date of payment for the Notes accepted for purchase.
The total consideration set forth above includes a consent payment of $14 for each $1,000 in principal amount of the Notes to holders who validly tendered and did not validly withdraw their Notes and provided their consents to the proposed amendments to the indenture governing the Notes at or prior to the Consent Deadline. Holders of Notes validly tendered after the Consent Deadline but at or prior to the Expiration Time will not receive a consent payment.
In addition, as previously announced, the Company received consents from holders sufficient to approve the proposed amendments to the indenture governing the Notes. As a result, the Company and the trustee have entered into a supplemental indenture containing such amendments to the indenture. Pursuant to the amendments, the indenture governing the Notes has been amended to eliminate substantially all of the restrictive covenants (other than, among other covenants, the covenant to pay interest and premium, if any, on, and principal of, the Notes when due) and certain events of default and related provisions contained in the indenture and the Notes, release all collateral securing the Notes and eliminate provisions contained in the indenture and the Notes relating to collateral.
On January 25, 2011, the Company issued a notice of redemption to discharge the indenture governing the Notes and redeem on March 15, 2011 any and all of the Notes that remain outstanding after the consummation of the tender offer and the consent solicitation, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the date of redemption, in accordance with the terms of the indenture governing the Notes.
This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to purchase, a solicitation of an offer to purchase or a solicitation of a consent with respect to any of the Notes. The tender offer and the consent solicitation were made pursuant to the tender offer and the consent solicitation documents, including the Offer to Purchase that the Company distributed to holders of Notes. The tender offer and the consent solicitation were not being made to holders of Notes in any jurisdiction in which the making or acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities, blue sky or other laws of such jurisdiction.
About Exide Technologies
Exide Technologies, with operations in more than 80 countries, is one of the world's largest producers and recyclers of lead-acid batteries. The Company's four global business groups – Transportation Americas, Transportation Europe and Rest of World, Industrial Energy Americas and Industrial Energy Europe and Rest of World – provide a comprehensive range of stored electrical energy products and services for industrial and transportation applications.
Transportation markets include original-equipment and aftermarket automotive, heavy-duty truck, agricultural and marine applications, and new technologies for hybrid vehicles and automotive applications. Industrial markets include network power applications such as telecommunications systems, electric utilities, railroads, photovoltaic (solar-power related) and uninterruptible power supply (UPS), and motive-power applications including lift trucks, mining and other commercial vehicles.
The Exide Technologies logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3300
Forward-Looking Statements
Except for historical information, this news release may be deemed to contain "forward-looking" statements. The Company desires to avail itself of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act") and is including this cautionary statement for the express purpose of availing itself of the protection afforded by the Act.
These "forward-looking statements" are not statements of historical fact, and may include, among other things, statements regarding the Company's current expectations and beliefs as to the payment of tender offer consideration. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, various uncertainties associated with the industries in which the Company operates and the Company's operations described in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 2, 2010 and its other periodic reports filed from time to time thereafter.
The Company cautions each reader of this news release to carefully consider those factors set forth above. Such factors have, in some instances, affected and in the future could affect the ability of the Company to achieve its projected results and may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed herein.