Yildiz United Biscuits buy backed with 985 million sterling loan
By Claire Ruckin
LONDON (Reuters) - Turkey's largest food group Yildiz Holding’s acquisition of UK-based snacks maker United Biscuits will be backed with a 985 million pound leveraged loan financing, banking sources said on Monday.
Yildiz, a food and beverage maker which owns Ulker Biskuvi , agreed to buy United Biscuits from private equity owners Blackstone Group and PAI Partners on November 3 after an auction process, paying around 2 billion pounds backed with a loan financing underwritten by HSBC .
The all-senior loan financing, which is 4.9 times leveraged, will tap both bank and institutional investor liquidity and will be showcased at a bank meeting on November 21 in London, the banking sources said.
The loan financing consists of a 760 million pound term loan B, denominated in euros and sterling; a 150 million pound term loan A; and a 75 million pound revolving credit facility, the banking sources said.
The acquisition of United Biscuits, which makes Jaffa Cakes and Jacob's crackers, is the third and largest by Yildiz in recent years as the Turkish group strives to become a global company.
(Editing by Christopher Mangham)
