Peabody, Blackhawk Tap High-Yield Debt Markets
2 days 22 hours 7 minutes ago - DJNF

By Soma Biswas
Coal-mining companies shut out of the capital markets last year may soon see a reversal of fortunes.

Peabody Energy Corp., which is making its way through chapter 11, and Blackhawk Mining LLC, a smaller, privately held coal miner, tapped the high-yield loan and bond markets this week aiming to raise more than $2 billion in total debt. Two other mining companies that have recently gone through restructurings are looking to seize the opportunity to refinance.

Encouraging the companies' hopes of fresh financing is improved pricing for coal after several years of falling demand, as well as President Donald Trump's campaign pledges to stand behind coal miners and roll back environmental regulations.

The U.S.-based coal companies' ability to tap the debt markets is a major turnaround from last year, when investors shunned coal issuers.

"It's a coal renaissance. All these guys were dying on the vine," said Neil Weiner, founder of Foxhill Capital Partners, a hedge fund that focuses on distressed-debt investments.

The dramatic rally in coal prices, particularly metallurgical coal used for steel making, has fueled demand for coal companies' debt. Prices for export-oriented coal used in smelting tripled in the second half of 2016 to $300 a metric ton. Although prices have since fallen to $200 a ton, they remain double what they were a year ago.

The election of Mr. Trump, who has sworn to scrap Obama-era regulations aimed at reducing carbon emissions from power plants.

Companies hoping to capitalize on the improved climate include Peabody, which launched an offering of $1.5 billion in high-yield bonds and loans that it plans to use to pay off its senior bank loans before it exits bankruptcy. The company's ability to raise debt in the capital markets to pay off its most senior lenders will enable junior creditors, including Elliott Management Corp. and Aurelius Capital Management, to walk away with full ownership of the company under a plan that remains subject to court approval.

Blackhawk, which is seeking commitments for a $660 million term loan, acquired Patriot Coal Corp.'s key mines in 2015 out of the company's chapter 11 case. It has since struggled with a heavy debt load.

For Blackhawk, whose debt still trades below par, the refinancing is an opportunity to extend out its maturities by two years or more, before the doors close on coal issuers again, according to people familiar with the matter.

Blackhawk is still seeking to refinance most of its existing debt. The company's leverage is about 10 times its 2016 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, but is projecting a big jump in Ebitda this year, according to a person familiar with the matter. The company's junior loans trade below par in the low-80-cent on the dollar area, according to Markit, though its senior debt trades around par.

Meanwhile, Arch Coal Inc. and Contura Energy Inc. are preparing to take advantage of the optimism about coal to refinance high-interest debt as well, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Representatives of Arch and Peabody declined to comment, while Blackhawk and Contura representatives didn't respond to requests for comment.

Both Arch Coal, which emerged from bankruptcy last year, and Contura, which was carved out of Alpha Natural Resources last year during its bankruptcy, each came out of chapter 11 with about $300 million of high-interest debt. Both companies see this is an opportune moment to refinance into lower-interest debt in the high yield market now, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Contura has $300 million in 10% secured notes maturing in 2021, while Arch Coal came out with a $326 million floating rate term loan with interest rate of more than 10%.

Debt markets aren't the only place recently recovering coal companies are looking to raise cash. Some are already lining up to tap the equity markets. Ramaco Resources Inc. a metallurgical coal producer in West Virginia, filed to go public in December, according to the company's filings.

Write to Soma Biswas at Soma.Biswas@dowjones.com



(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 03, 2017 13:02 ET (18:02 GMT)

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