1999–2000
2000
December 2000 České dráhy EUR 160 million EIB Financing
This state-guaranteed bilateral loan from EIB was for financing the modernization of Railway Corridor II. The 20-year loan was part of a credit line granted to the company by EIB to enable it to finance current and future investments in Railway Corridor II.
December 2000 Biocel Fairness Opinion on the Value of its Stake in JIP
Benson Oak prepared an independent fairness opinion on the value of a 49.88% stake in Jihočeské papírny owned by Biocel.
December 2000 České dráhy CZK 2 billion Bilateral Loan
This 14-year bilateral loan with a state guarantee was provided by Komerční banka; its proceeds were for the modernization of Railway Corridor I.
December 2000 České dráhy CZK 2.125 billion Bilateral Loan
This 11-year bilateral loan with a state guarantee was provided by Česká spořitelna; its proceeds were for the modernization of Railway Corridor I.
October 2000 Sale of the Internet Assets of Metropole to Czech On Line
Benson Oak advised Metropole, s.r.o. the Czech Republic’s first leisure and entertainment internet portal, on the sale of the company’s assets to Czech On Line, a leading Czech ISP. The total consideration was undisclosed. The Metropole acquisition was Video On Line’s first acquisition after the entry of its strategic partner Telekom Austria.
June 2000 Unipetrol EUR 34.3 and CZK 482.4 million Export Credit
This complex export credit financing for the construction of a polypropylene unit at Unipetrol’s subsidiary Chemopetrol was partly guaranteed by Italian export credit agency SACE. The EUR and the CZK tranche were syndicated separately among commercial banks.
March 2000 Unipetrol EUR 56 million Export Credit
This complex export credit financing for the construction of a polyethylene unit at Unipetrol’s subsidiary Chemopetrol was provided by KfW and guaranteed by Hermes. It included two tranches with maturities of nine and 12 years at a highly competitive interest cost.
1999
September 1999 Unipetrol CZK 4 billion Domestic Bond Issue
This five-year bond issue, guaranteed by its subsidiary Chemopetrol, was Unipetrol’s first public bond issue in the domestic market. It became its new borrowing benchmark following the company’s financial reorganization.
July 1999 Paroplynový cyklus Bratislava DEM 100 million EIB Financing
This ten-year loan from the European Investment Bank carried a guarantee of the Slovak Republic and was the main loan in PPC’s long-term investment project financing.
May 1999 ČEZ CZK 3 billion Domestic Bond
This five-year bond issue became ČEZ’s new benchmark in the domestic market. It was the first issue to be priced in the Czech market according to Eurobond launch processes.
March 1999 Paroplynový cyklus Bratislava Strategic Advisory
Benson Oak assisted PPC Bratislava in establishing a comprehensive strategy to raise DEM 40 million from the sale of a minority stake in the company to an international strategic investor. Benson Oak assisted PPC’s in preparing its financial plan and initial deal documents and in selecting potential investors. PPC later entered into negotiations with El Paso Energy under a tender run during 1999 and 2000.
March 1999 ČEZ CZK 5 billion Multi-dealer Commercial Paper Program
This structured domestic commercial paper program had a three-year maturity and was partly underwritten. It replaced the original program put in place by ČEZ in 1996 and had four dealers: Citibank, Česká spořitelna, ČSOB and ING.
January 1999 ČEZ CZK 2.5 billion Inflation-linked Private Placement
This bond issue was privately placed with one main investor. The issue had a 15-year maturity and was the first inflation-linked bond financing in the Czech Republic.
January 1999 ČEZ CZK 1.86 billion Zero-coupon Private Placement
This bond issue was privately placed with one main investor. The issue had a 10-year maturity and was the first zero-coupon bond financing in the Czech Republic.