Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Debt

v3.19.1
Debt
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019
Debt  
Debt

(5) Debt

Outstanding debt at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 is summarized as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 31,

 

December 31,

 

 

 

2019

 

2018

 

 

 

amounts in millions

 

TripCo margin loans

 

$

222

 

220

 

TripCo variable postpaid forward

 

 

268

 

267

 

TripAdvisor Credit Facilities

 

 

 —

 

 —

 

Total consolidated TripCo debt

 

$

490

 

487

 

Debt classified as current

 

 

(222)

 

(220)

 

Total long-term debt

 

$

268

 

267

 

TripCo Margin Loans and Variable Postpaid Forward

On August 21, 2014, a wholly owned subsidiary of TripCo (“TripSPV”) entered into two margin loan agreements, which aggregated total borrowings of $400 million. Interest on the margin loans accrued at a rate of 3.25% plus LIBOR per year. Interest on the margin loans was paid in kind and added to the principal amount on the loans.

In connection with the variable postpaid forward transaction entered into on June 6, 2016, as described in note 4, TripCo borrowed $259 million against the variable postpaid forward on June 23, 2016.  The term of the forward is four years. At maturity, the accreted loan amount due is approximately $272 million. The proceeds from the forward were used to repay $200 million in principal and $29 million of paid in kind interest on the margin loans with the remainder being used for general corporate purposes.

On June 23, 2016, TripCo amended the terms of the margin loan agreements with respect to the remaining borrowings of $200 million. Common Stock and Class B Common Stock of TripAdvisor were pledged as collateral pursuant to these agreements. Each agreement contains language that indicates that the Company, as borrower and transferor of underlying shares as collateral, has the right to exercise all voting, consensual and other powers of ownership pertaining to the transferred shares for all purposes, provided that TripCo agrees that it will not vote the shares in any manner that would reasonably be expected to give rise to transfer or certain other restrictions. Similarly, the loan agreements indicate that no lender party shall have any voting rights with respect to the shares transferred, except to the extent that a lender party buys any shares in a sale or other disposition made pursuant to the terms of the loan agreements. The agreements also contain certain restrictions related to additional indebtedness and margin calls. The initial margin call would require the outstanding balance to be reduced to $150 million if at any time the closing price per share of TripAdvisor common stock were to fall below a certain minimum value. On November 7, 2017, pursuant to another amendment to the margin loan agreements, interest on the margin loans accrued at a rate of 2.4% plus LIBOR per year. The interest can be paid in kind or cash at the election of TripCo. The Company expects that interest on the loan will be paid in kind and added to the principal amount on the loan. The term of the loan is three years and the maturity date is June 21, 2019. Accordingly, the loans are classified as current as of March 31, 2019.

During the three months ended March 31, 2019, TripCo recorded $3 million and $1 million of non-cash interest related to the amended margin loans and variable postpaid forward, respectively.

As of March 31, 2019, the values of TripAdvisor’s shares pledged as collateral pursuant to the margin loan agreements and variable postpaid forward, determined based on the trading price of the Common Stock and on an as-if converted basis for the Class B Common Stock, are as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

Number of Shares

   

   

 

 

 

 

Pledged as

 

 

 

 

   

 

Collateral as of

   

Share value as of

 

Pledged Collateral

 

March 31, 2019

 

March 31, 2019

 

   

 

amounts in millions

 

Common Stock

 

18.2

 

$

934

 

Class B Common Stock

 

12.8

 

$

659

 

The outstanding margin loans contain various affirmative and negative covenants that restrict the activities of the borrower. The loan agreements do not include any financial covenants.

TripAdvisor Credit Facilities

TripAdvisor is party to a credit agreement, with a group of lenders, which, among other things, provides for a $1.2 billion unsecured revolving credit facility (the “2015 Credit Facility”) with a maturity date of May 12, 2022. Borrowings under the 2015 Credit Facility generally bear interest, at TripAdvisor’s option, at a rate per annum equal to either (i) the Eurocurrency Borrowing rate, or the adjusted LIBOR for the interest period in effect for such borrowing; plus an applicable margin ranging from 1.25% to 2.00%, based on TripAdvisor’s leverage ratio; or (ii) the Alternate Base Rate Borrowing, which is the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on such day, (b) the New York Fed Bank Rate in effect on such day plus 1/2 of 1.00% per annum and (c) the Adjusted LIBOR (or LIBOR multiplied by the Statutory Reserve Rate) for an interest period of one month plus 1.00%; in addition to an applicable margin ranging from 0.25% to 1.00%, based on TripAdvisor’s leverage ratio. TripAdvisor may borrow from the 2015 Credit Facility in U.S. dollars, Euros and British pound sterling. In addition, TripAdvisor’s 2015 Credit Facility includes $15 million of borrowing capacity available for letters of credit and $40 million for Swing Line borrowings on same-day notice. As of March 31, 2019, TripAdvisor had issued $3 million of outstanding letters of credit under the 2015 Credit Facility. TripAdvisor is also required to pay a quarterly commitment fee, at an applicable rate ranging from 0.15% to 0.30%, on the daily unused portion of the revolving credit facility for each fiscal quarter and additional fees in connection with the issuance of letters of credit. As of March 31, 2019, TripAdvisor’s unused revolver capacity was subject to a commitment fee of 0.15%, given TripAdvisor’s leverage ratio.

As of both March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, TripAdvisor had no outstanding borrowings under the 2015 Credit Facility. During the three months ended March 31, 2018, TripAdvisor made a net repayment of $230 million on the 2015 Credit Facility. These net repayments were primarily made from a one-time cash repatriation of $325 million of foreign earnings to the United States during the first quarter of 2018. For both the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, TripAdvisor recorded total interest expense and commitment fees on the 2015 Credit Facility of $1 million to interest expense on its condensed consolidated statement of operations. All unpaid interest and commitment fee amounts as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 were not material.

There is no specific repayment date prior to the maturity date for any borrowings under this credit agreement. TripAdvisor may voluntarily repay any outstanding borrowing under the 2015 Credit Facility at any time without premium or penalty, other than customary breakage costs with respect to Eurocurrency loans. Additionally, TripAdvisor believes that the likelihood of the lender exercising any subjective acceleration rights, which would permit the lenders to accelerate repayment of any outstanding borrowings, is remote. As such, TripAdvisor classifies any borrowings under this facility as long-term debt. The 2015 Credit Facility contains a number of covenants that, among other things, restrict TripAdvisor’s ability to: incur additional indebtedness, create liens, enter into sale and leaseback transactions, engage in mergers or consolidations, sell or transfer assets, pay dividends and distributions, make investments, loans or advances, prepay certain subordinated indebtedness, make certain acquisitions, engage in certain transactions with affiliates, amend material agreements governing certain subordinated indebtedness, and change its fiscal year. The 2015 Credit Facility also requires TripAdvisor to maintain a maximum leverage ratio and contains certain customary affirmative covenants and events of default, including a change of control. If an event of default occurs, the lenders under the 2015 Credit Facility will be entitled to take various actions, including the acceleration of all amounts due under the 2015 Credit Facility.

TripAdvisor also maintains two credit facilities in China (jointly, the “TripAdvisor Chinese Credit Facilities”) as of March 31, 2019. TripAdvisor’s Chinese subsidiary is party to a $30 million, one-year revolving credit facility with Bank of America that is currently subject to review on a periodic basis with no specific expiration period. TripAdvisor is also party to a RMB 70,000,000 (approximately $10 million) one-year revolving credit facility with J.P. Morgan Chase Bank. TripAdvisor’s Chinese Credit Facilities generally bear interest at a rate based on the People’s Bank of China benchmark, including certain adjustments which may be made in accordance with market conditions at the time of borrowing. As of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, there were no outstanding borrowings under the TripAdvisor Chinese Credit Facilities.

Debt Covenants

As of March 31, 2019, each of the Company and TripAdvisor was in compliance with its respective debt covenants.