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Essential Home cuts anti co-op language, tightens docs on lender pushback

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News and Analysis

Essential Home cuts anti co-op language, tightens docs on lender pushback

Laura Thompson's avatar
Alessandro Albano's avatar
  1. Laura Thompson
  2. +Nicolle Liu
  3. + 1 more
•2 min read

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Essential Home has removed anti co-op language from its docs ahead of today’s commitment deadline, according to 9fin sources.

It also removed high watermarking language, sources added, and tightened J.Crew provisions.

Essential Homes further lowered the leverage threshold on its margin ratchet, with its two 0.5x step-downs now at 2.75x and 3.25x, sources said, rather than 3.5x and 4.0x.

Docs had been in the spotlight for this deal, as 9fin reported — with investors speaking with 9fin flagging its “wide open” J.Crew language, as well as a loose restricted payments basket.

But demand for new paper has still helped banks accelerate the deadline for Essential Home’s $2.375bn-equivalent of term loans by two business days.

Anti co-op language — which has not yet gotten through the European market — is a particular red line for many investors.

Previously, KKR’s Stepstone, PAI Partners’ Motel One and Advent’s Kereis all had these clauses removed due to investor pushback.

The term loans back Advent’s acquisition of Essential Home, the home care unit of UK consumer giant Reckitt Benckiser — which will reinvest part of its shares and retain 30% of the equity.

Citi, Santander and SMBC are joint physical bookrunners on the euros. Barclays is sole physical bookrunner on the dollars. Barclays, Citi, Santander and SMBC are joint global coordinators.

Santander, Barclays, Citi and Advent declined to comment. SMBC and Essential Home did not return our requests for comment.

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