Item 1.01
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Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
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Issuance of 5.375% Senior Notes due 2027
On March 22, 2017, Equinix, Inc. (
Equinix
) issued and sold $1,250,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 5.375% Senior Notes
due 2027 (the
Notes
), pursuant to an underwriting agreement dated March 8, 2017 among Equinix and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, as representatives of the
several underwriters named in Schedule II thereto. The Notes were issued pursuant to an indenture dated November 20, 2014 (the
Base Indenture
) between Equinix and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the
Trustee
), as supplemented by the Fourth Supplemental Indenture dated March 22, 2017 (the
Fourth Supplemental Indenture
, and, together with the Base Indenture, the Indenture).
The Notes were offered pursuant to Equinixs Registration Statement on Form
S-3
(No.
333-200294)
(the
Registration Statement
), which became effective upon filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 17, 2014, including the prospectus contained
therein dated November 17, 2014, a preliminary prospectus supplement dated March 7, 2017 and a final prospectus supplement dated March 8, 2017.
The Notes will bear interest at the rate of 5.375% per annum and will mature on May 15, 2027. Interest on the Notes is payable in cash on May 15 and
November 15 of each year, beginning on May 15, 2017.
Equinix intends to use the net proceeds from the sale of the Notes, together with the
proceeds from its sale on March 14, 2017 of its common stock and existing term
B-2
loan borrowings, to finance the previously announced proposed acquisition of the colocation services business of Verizon
Communications Inc. at 24 data center sites in the United States, Brazil and Colombia (the Acquisition) and related transaction fees and expenses and for general corporate purposes. If for any reason the Acquisition is not completed on
or prior to December 6, 2017, or if, prior to such date, the transaction agreement relating to the Acquisition is terminated, then in either case Equinix will be required to redeem the Notes at par.
Equinix may redeem all or a part of the Notes on or after May 15, 2022 on any one or more occasions, at the redemption prices set forth in the Indenture,
plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to, but not including, the applicable redemption date. In addition, at any time prior to May 15, 2020, Equinix may on any one or more occasions redeem up to 35% of the aggregate
principal amount of the Notes outstanding under the Indenture with the net cash proceeds of one or more equity offerings. At any time prior to May 15, 2022, Equinix may also redeem all or a part of the Notes at a redemption price equal to 100%
of the principal amount of the Notes redeemed plus a make-whole premium as of, and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the date of redemption.
Upon a change of control, as defined in the Indenture, Equinix will be required to make an offer to purchase the Notes at a purchase price equal to 101% of
the principal amount of the Notes on the date of purchase, plus accrued interest, if any, to, but excluding, the date of purchase.
The Notes are
Equinixs general unsecured senior obligations and rank equally with Equinixs other unsecured senior indebtedness. The Notes effectively rank junior to Equinixs secured indebtedness to the extent of the collateral securing such
indebtedness and to all liabilities of Equinixs subsidiaries. The Notes are not guaranteed by Equinixs subsidiaries, through which Equinix currently conducts substantially all of its operations.
The Indenture contains several restrictive covenants including, but not limited to, limitations on the following:
(i) the incurrence of additional indebtedness; (ii) restricted payments; (iii) dividend and other payments restrictions affecting restricted subsidiaries; (iv) the issuance of preferred stock by domestic subsidiaries;
(v) liens; (vi) asset sales and mergers and consolidations; (vii) transactions with affiliates; and (viii) future subsidiary guarantees, subject, in each case, to certain exceptions.
The Indenture contains customary terms that upon certain events of default occurring and continuing, either the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in
aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding may declare the principal of the Notes and any accrued and unpaid interest through the date of such declaration immediately due and payable. In the case of certain events of bankruptcy or
insolvency relating to Equinix, the principal amount of the Notes together with any accrued and unpaid interest through the occurrence of such event shall automatically become and be immediately due and payable.
The above descriptions of the Indenture and the Notes are qualified in their entirety by reference to the Base Indenture and the Fourth Supplemental Indenture
(including the form of the Notes included therein). A copy of the Base Indenture, the Fourth Supplemental Indenture and the form of the Notes are filed as Exhibits 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3, respectively, to this Current Report on Form
8-K.
A copy of the opinion of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP relating to the validity of the Notes is incorporated
by reference into the Registration Statement and is attached to this Current Report on Form
8-K
as Exhibit 5.1.