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* Launches potential 325 mln stg bond offering
* Enters into new financing arrangements
* HY headline loss before tax 17 mln stg
(Adds details about debt warning, finance arrangements)
April 28 (Reuters) - UK's WH Smith Plc on Wednesday
warned of the possible risk of breaching its covenant tests in
2022 after it slumped to a first-half loss and launched a
potential 325 million-pound ($450 million) bonds offering as
the retailer navigates the COVID-19 crisis.
The company, which sells everything from books and
sandwiches to Bluetooth headphones, said in a statement under a
severe but plausible scenario, "it was likely that the group
would not meet the conditions of the August 2022 covenant
tests."
"If this situation prevailed, the group would engage its
lending banks in advance of this date to secure a further
covenant amendment," it added.
The severe but plausible scenario replicates the group's
forecast performance in the financial year ending Aug. 31, 2021
by applying the same cash flows to the next financial year,
while excluding non-recurring restructuring costs incurred and
government support received.
The company's network of airport, train station and
workplace kiosks has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The
health crisis forced the 200-year-old company, founded as a news
vendor in London, to announce up to 1,500 job cuts last year.
Besides the offering of guaranteed senior unsecured
convertible bonds due 2026, the company said it had agreed to
new bank financing arrangements including a revised revolving
credit facility of 250 million pounds, raised from 200 million
pounds, with an extended maturity to 2025 from 2023.
WH Smith said it would use funds from the offering and the
financing arrangements to open new travel stores across all
territories, particularly North America.
WH Smith said it expects annual outturn to be modestly ahead
of current expectations, adding it was continuing to see
encouraging signs of recovery in North America.
It reported headline group loss before tax of 17 million
pounds for the six months ending Feb. 28, compared with a profit
of 80 million pounds a year earlier.
Shares of the FTSE-250 member have jumped nearly 25% so far
in 2021.
($1 = 0.7185 pounds)
(Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka and Aby Jose Koilparambil in
Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli, Alexandra Hudson)
