FirstCash Announces Pricing of $500 Million Senior Notes Due 2032
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The pricing of a substantial $500 million senior notes offering by FirstCash Holdings, Inc. indicates a strategic move to optimize its capital structure. The 6.875% interest rate, higher than current average corporate bond yields, suggests a premium for the risk associated with the company. Investors should note that the use of proceeds to repay existing debt can be a positive sign of management's commitment to reducing leverage and improving the balance sheet.
However, the unsecured nature of these notes means they are subject to higher credit risk compared to secured debt, as they would be lower in the pecking order for repayment in the event of a default. The guarantee by FirstCash and its domestic subsidiaries aligns with typical credit enhancement practices but does not eliminate the inherent risk of the notes. The market's reception of this offering could reflect on the company's creditworthiness and future borrowing costs.
The private placement of notes, relying on Rule 144A and Regulation S, is a common approach for U.S. companies to access capital from qualified institutional buyers without the need for a public offering. This method expedites the capital-raising process but limits the investor base to those who meet specific criteria, which could affect the liquidity of the notes.
It's also important for potential investors to understand that these notes have not been registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws, which means there are restrictions on their transfer. The absence of registration reflects a reliance on exemptions that permit the company to avoid the disclosure and procedural requirements of a public offering, which could result in less information available to investors.
In the context of the broader market, the decision by FirstCash to issue senior notes may be indicative of a trend where companies are seeking to lock in longer-term financing before potential interest rate hikes. The fixed interest rate of 6.875% might be attractive to investors looking for higher yields in a low-interest-rate environment. However, the rate also reflects the market's assessment of the company's default risk.
From a competitive standpoint, the company's ability to successfully close this offering may position it favorably against peers who may be facing tighter credit conditions or higher borrowing costs. The impact on FirstCash's stock will largely depend on investor perception of the company's future cash flows and the effectiveness of this debt in driving growth or stabilizing operations.
FORT WORTH, Texas, Feb. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FirstCash Holdings, Inc. (“FirstCash” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: FCFS) today announced that the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, FirstCash, Inc. (the “Issuer”), priced a private offering of
The Notes will be unsecured senior obligations of the Issuer and will be guaranteed by FirstCash and its domestic subsidiaries that guarantee its revolving unsecured credit facility and existing senior unsecured notes. The offering of the Notes is expected to close on February 21, 2024, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
FirstCash intends to use the proceeds from the offering to repay a portion of FirstCash’s outstanding borrowings under its revolving unsecured credit facility, after payment of fees and expenses related to the offering.
The Notes are being offered in a private placement, solely to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers in reliance on the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or outside the United States to persons other than “U.S. persons” in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act. The Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements.
This notice does not constitute an offer to sell the Notes, nor a solicitation for an offer to purchase the Notes, in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation would be unlawful.
Forward-Looking Information
This release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about the Notes offering and the intended use of the net proceeds thereof. Forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believes,” “projects,” “expects,” “may,” “estimates,” “should,” “plans,” “targets,” “intends,” “could,” “would,” “anticipates,” “potential,” “confident,” “optimistic,” or the negative thereof, or other variations thereon, or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, objectives, estimates, guidance, expectations, outlook and future plans. Forward-looking statements can also be identified by the fact that these statements do not relate strictly to historical or current matters. Rather, forward-looking statements relate to anticipated or expected events, activities, trends or results. Because forward-looking statements relate to matters that have not yet occurred, these statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties.
These forward-looking statements are made to provide the public with management’s current expectations with regard to the Notes offering and the intended use of the net proceeds thereof. While the Company believes the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurances such expectations will prove to be accurate. Security holders are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Certain factors may cause results to differ materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements made in this release. Such factors may include, without limitation, the Company’s ability to satisfy the conditions contained in the agreement with the initial purchases with regard to the offering; risks related to the extensive regulatory environment in which the Company operates; risks associated with the legal and regulatory proceedings that the Company is a party to, or may become a party to in the future, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”) lawsuit filed against the Company; risks related to the Company’s acquisitions, including the failure of the Company’s acquisitions, to deliver the estimated value and benefits expected by the Company and the ability of the Company to continue to identify and consummate acquisitions on favorable terms; potential changes in consumer behavior and shopping patterns which could impact demand for the Company’s pawn loan, retail, lease-to-own and retail finance products, including, as a result to, changes in the general economic conditions; labor shortages and increased labor costs; a deterioration in the economic conditions in the United States and Latin America, including as a result of inflation and rising interest rates, which potentially could have an impact on discretionary consumer spending and demand for the Company’s products; currency fluctuations, primarily involving the Mexican peso; competition the Company faces from other retailers and providers of retail payment solutions; the ability of the Company to successfully execute on its business strategies; and other risks discussed and described in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including the risks described in Part 1, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” thereof, and other reports filed with the SEC. Many of these risks and uncertainties are beyond the ability of the Company to control, nor can the Company predict, in many cases, all of the risks and uncertainties that could cause its actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this release speak only as of the date of this release, and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to report any updates or revisions to any such statement to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.
About FirstCash
FirstCash is the leading international operator of pawn stores and a leading provider of technology-driven point-of-sale payment solutions, both focused on serving cash and credit-constrained consumers. FirstCash’s approximately 3,000 pawn stores in the U.S. and Latin America buy and sell a wide variety of jewelry, electronics, tools, appliances, sporting goods, musical instruments and other merchandise, and make small non-recourse pawn loans secured by pledged personal property. FirstCash, through its wholly owned subsidiary, AFF, also provides lease-to-own and retail finance payment solutions for consumer goods and services through a nationwide network of approximately 11,600 active retail merchant partner locations. As one of the largest omni-channel providers of “no credit required” payment options, AFF’s technology provides its merchant partners with seamless leasing and financing experiences in-store, online, in-cart and on mobile devices.
FirstCash is a component company in both the Standard & Poor’s MidCap 400 Index® and the Russell 2000 Index®. FirstCash’s common stock (ticker symbol “FCFS”) is traded on the Nasdaq, the creator of the world’s first electronic stock market. For additional information regarding FirstCash and the services it provides, visit FirstCash’s websites located at http://www.firstcash.com and http://www.americanfirstfinance.com.
For further information, please contact:
Gar Jackson
Global IR Group
Phone: (817) 886-6998
Email: gar@globalirgroup.com
Doug Orr, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Phone: (817) 258-2650
Email: investorrelations@firstcash.com
Website: investors.firstcash.com
FAQ
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