ITEM 1.01
Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
On August 31, 2018 Quidel Corporation (the “Company”) entered into an Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) by and among the Company, as borrower, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, swing line lender and L/C issuer (“Bank of America”), JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as syndication agent (“JPMorgan”), and the other lenders party thereto, which replaces the previous agreement dated October 6, 2017. The Credit Agreement provides the Company with a $175.0 million revolving credit facility. In connection with the closing of the Credit Agreement, the Company borrowed $83.2 million under the Credit Agreement to repay in full the outstanding term loan balance under the previous facility. The Credit Agreement, as amended and restated, (i) does not include any term loan component and (ii) includes a $10.0 million sublimit for letters of credit and a $5.0 million sublimit for swing line loans. The Credit Agreement will mature on August 31, 2023.
The Credit Agreement is guaranteed by certain material domestic subsidiaries of the Company (the “Guarantors”) and is secured by liens on substantially all of the assets of the Company and the Guarantors, excluding real property and certain other types of excluded assets.
Loans under the Credit Agreement will bear interest at a rate equal to (i) the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) plus the “applicable rate” or (ii) the “base rate” (defined as the highest of (a) the Bank of America prime rate, (b) the Federal Funds rate plus one-half of one percent and (c) LIBOR plus one percent) plus the “applicable rate.” The initial applicable rate will be 1.00% per annum for base rate loans and 2.00% per annum for LIBOR rate loans, and thereafter will be determined in accordance with a pricing grid based on the Company’s Consolidated Leverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement) ranging from 1.75% to 2.50% per annum for LIBOR rate loans and from 0.75% to 1.50% per annum for base rate loans. In addition, the Company will pay a commitment fee on the unused portion of the Credit Agreement based on the Company’s Consolidated Leverage Ratio ranging from 0.15% to 0.30% per annum.
The Company must prepay loans outstanding under the Credit Agreement in an amount equal to 100% of the Net Cash Proceeds (as defined in the Credit Agreement) from (i) certain property dispositions and (ii) the receipt of certain other amounts not in the ordinary course of business, such as certain insurance proceeds and condemnation awards, in each case, if not reinvested within a specified time period as contemplated in the Credit Agreement.
The Credit Agreement contains affirmative and negative covenants that are customary for credit agreements of this nature. The negative covenants include, among other things, limitations on asset sales, mergers, indebtedness, liens, investments and transactions with affiliates. The Credit Agreement contains two financial covenants: (i) a maximum Consolidated Leverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement) as of the last day of each fiscal quarter for the most recently completed four fiscal quarters of 3.50 to 1.00, which ratio may be increased to 4.50 to 1.00 in the case of certain qualifying acquisitions; and (ii) a minimum Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement) of 1.25 to 1.00 as of the end of any fiscal quarter for the most recently completed four fiscal quarters.
The Credit Agreement also includes customary events of default that include, among other things, non-payment defaults, inaccuracy of representations and warranties, covenant defaults, cross default to material indebtedness, bankruptcy and insolvency defaults, material judgment defaults, ERISA defaults and a change of control default. The occurrence of an event of default could result in the acceleration of the obligations under the Credit Agreement and cross-default other indebtedness of the Company.