ASCA: LIBOR HELPS BUT NOT ENOUGH

01/25/09 01:54PM EST
We have ASCA pulling on every lever in their arsenal and, short of raising subordinated debt or amending its credit facility, we don’t see how the company avoids a covenant breach. The maximum senior leverage ratio allowed by the credit facility steps down from 5.25x in Q1 2009 to 5.00x in Q2. It is almost a mathematical certainty that ASCA will bust this covenant in Q2. Despite the incremental cash flow from LIBOR dropping to 1.12% this past week, and factoring in almost zero in maintenance capex in Q4 2008 and Q1 2009, we estimate the senior leverage ratio will reach 5.40x at the end of Q2.

It could get worse. ASCA will only barely escape the 5.25x in Q4 and will likely breach the covenant at the end of Q1, even before the step down. ASCA needs to act and act fast. The most likely course of action is a junk bond offering. Unfortunately, in today’s environment the interest rate will likely approach 20% versus ASCA’s current average borrowing rate of around 4.5%. Thus, on a $200 million subordinated debt offering, ASCA could incur an incremental $30 million in interest expense and a $0.30 hit to EPS.


ASCA could breach covenant in Q1 and most certainly in Q2
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