/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS SERVICES AND NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/
LAVAL, QC, Aug. 21, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. ("Couche-Tard") (TSX: ATD.A, ATD.B) announced today that it completed the closing of its previously-announced public offering of $300 million principal amount of 4.214% Series 4 senior unsecured notes due August 21, 2020 (the "Notes"). The Notes were issued and sold today through a syndicate of agents composed of National Bank Financial Inc., Scotia Capital Inc., HSBC Securities (Canada) Inc., Desjardins Securities Inc., CIBC World Markets Inc., and Barclays Capital Canada Inc., acting as co-lead agents, and National Bank Financial Inc., Scotia Capital Inc. and HSBC Securities (Canada) Inc., acting as joint bookrunners.
The Notes are rated BBB- by Standard & Poor's, a division of the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. and Baa3 by Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
Couche-Tard intends to use the net proceeds of the offering of approximately $298 million to repay indebtedness outstanding under its credit facility used to fund the acquisition of Statoil Fuel & Retail AS.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the Notes in the United States. The Notes have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), and may not be offered or sold in the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act or pursuant to an available exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act.
About Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
Couche-Tard is the leader in the Canadian convenience store industry. In the United States, Couche-Tard is the largest independent convenience store operator in terms of number of company-operated stores. In Europe, Couche-Tard is a leader in convenience store and road transportation fuel in Scandinavian countries and in the Baltic States and it has a growing presence in Poland.
As of April 28, 2013, Couche-Tard's network comprised 6,094 convenience stores throughout North America, including 4,546 stores with road transportation fuel dispensing. Its North-American network consists of 13 business units, including nine in the United States covering 39 States and the District of Columbia and four in Canada covering all ten provinces. More than 60,000 people are employed throughout its network and at its service centers in North America.
Through its acquisition of Statoil Fuel & Retail AS in fiscal 2013, Couche-Tard operates a broad retail network across Scandinavia, Poland, the Baltic States, and Russia with 2,292 stores as at April 28, 2013, the majority of which offer road transportation fuel and convenience products while the others are unmanned automated service-stations which offer road transportation fuel only. The Corporation also offers other products, including stationary energy, marine fuel, aviation fuel, lubricants and chemicals. It operates key fuel terminals and fuel depots in eight countries. Including employees at Statoil branded franchise stations approximately 18,500 people worked in its retail network, terminals and service centers across Europe.
In addition, under licensing agreements, about 4,190 stores are operated under the Circle K banner in ten other countries and territories worldwide (China, Guam, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Mexico, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates).
For more information on Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., please visit: http://www.couche-tard.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
The statements set forth in this news release, which describe Couche-Tard's objectives, projections, estimates, expectations or forecasts, may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of securities legislation. Positive or negative verbs such as "will", "plan", "evaluate", "estimate", "believe", "expect" and other related expressions are used to identify such statements. Couche-Tard would like to point out that, by their very nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties such that its results, or the measures it adopts, could differ materially from those indicated or underlying these statements, or could have an impact on the degree of realization of a particular projection. Major factors that may lead to a material difference between Couche-Tard's actual results and the projections or expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements include the effects of the integration of acquired businesses and the ability to achieve projected synergies, fluctuations in margins on motor fuel sales, competition in the convenience store and retail motor fuel industries, exchange rate variations, and such other risks as described in detail from time to time in documents filed by Couche-Tard with securities regulatory authorities in Canada. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Couche-Tard disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking information in this news release is based on information available as of the date of the release.
SOURCE: Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
Raymond Paré, Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer
Tel: (450) 662-6632 ext. 4607
[email protected]
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