The J.M. Smucker Co. is tapping the US investment-grade bond market on Wednesday to help finance its acquisition of Hostess Brands Inc.
(Bloomberg) — The J.M. Smucker Co. is tapping the US investment-grade bond market on Wednesday to help finance its acquisition of Hostess Brands Inc.
The American food manufacturing giant, also known as Smuckers, is selling $3.5 billion of bonds in four parts, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. The longest portion of the offering, a 30-year fixed-rate note, may yield around 1.80 percentage points above Treasuries, tighter than initial discussions of around 2.05 percentage points, said the person, who asked not to be identified as the details are private.
Smuckers said it agreed to acquire Twinkies maker Hostess on Sept. 11 for about $5.6 billion, furthering a growing consolidation trend among companies that stock the shelf-stable aisles at the heart of supermarkets. The company was founded in 1897 by Jerome Monroe Smucker, selling homemade cider and apple butter door-to-door from the back of his horse-drawn wagon.
The bond sale comes a month after the company secured a $5.2 billion bridge loan provided by Bank of America Corp. and RBC Capital Markets LLC to help fund its $5.6 billion purchase of Hostess.Â
The Orrville, Ohio-based firm currently has about $4.3 billion in outstanding debt, largely due through 2025, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.Â
Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase & Co. are managing the deal, which is expected to price on Wednesday. J.M. Smucker didn’t reply to a request for comment.
(Adds deal launch details in second paragraph and updates J.M. Smucker comment line in last paragraph.)
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