Uber preps USD 1.5bn debut bond offering, sets call for tomorrow – Update
[Editor’s note: This is an update of a Debtwire story published earlier today, to add additional intelligence in the second paragraph about the timing of an investor call.]
Uber is working with Morgan Stanley on outreach related to raising around USD 1.5bn via an unsecured bond deal, said two buysiders and two trading sources.
The company has outlined a dual-tranche structure that includes an eight-year non-call three piece whispered at 8% and a five-year non-call two piece at 7.5%, two of the sources said. An investor call will take place tomorrow (10 October) at around noon to discuss the deal, two of the sources added.
Some buysiders are comping a potential Uber debut bond deal to recent new issues from fellow early-stage businesses WeWork and Tesla.
WeWork placed a USD 702m 7.875% senior unsecured note due 2025 this past April. The bonds last traded at 96 to yield 8.686% on Friday (5 October), according to MarketAxess. Tesla’s USD 1.8bn 5.3% senior unsecured notes due 2025, priced in August 2017, traded today at 84.375 to yield 8.34%, down slightly from 85.5 on Friday (5 October).
Though Uber doesn’t currently have any high yield bonds, it has tapped the leveraged loan market – most recently in June for a repricing also led by Morgan Stanley. In that deal, the borrower repriced its USD 1.133bn TLB due 2023 to Libor+ 350bps (0% floor).
The term loan is quoted in the 100.275/100.725 context today, in line with recent levels, according to Markit.
Uber recently reached a USD 148m settlement agreement over allegations it concealed a 2016 data breach in violation of state laws.
TERMS:
- Led by Morgan Stanley
- USD 1.5bn senior unsecured notes offering
- Eight-year, non-call three tranche whispered at 8%
- Five-year, non-call two tranche whispered at 7.5%
- Sector: technology
- Business description: provides ride-hailing transportation software services
- Privately owned
Representatives for Uber and Morgan Stanley, respectively, didn’t respond to inquiries.