Xerox Corporation Announces Closing of Senior Secured Notes Offering

Rhea-AI Summary

Xerox has successfully closed its dual offering of senior secured notes: $400 million in 10.250% Senior Secured First Lien Notes due 2030 and $400 million in 13.500% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due 2031. The First Lien Notes proceeds will be used to redeem Xerox's 5.000% Senior Notes due 2025 and pay related fees. The company has already redeemed $90 million of the 2025 Notes on April 11, 2025.

The Second Lien Notes proceeds will partially fund the Lexmark Acquisition, announced on December 22, 2024, and repay Lexmark's outstanding debt. These proceeds are held in escrow until the acquisition closes, with a special mandatory redemption provision if the deal isn't completed by December 22, 2025.

Positive

• Successful raising of $800 million through secured notes offering
• Strategic acquisition of Lexmark to expand business operations
• Structured debt refinancing to optimize capital structure

Negative

• High interest rates on new notes (10.250% and 13.500%) indicating increased borrowing costs
• Significant debt burden with dual $400 million note issuances
• Risk of mandatory redemption if Lexmark acquisition fails

Insights

Corporate Finance Expert

Xerox's issuance of $800 million in high-interest secured notes represents a significant deterioration in its financing conditions and raises serious concerns about the company's financial health. The 10.25% First Lien and 13.5% Second Lien Notes carry extraordinarily high interest rates compared to the 5% 2025 Notes they're replacing.

These interest rates are alarming - typical of distressed financing and substantially above investment-grade corporate debt. The secured nature of both note offerings indicates lenders demanded specific collateral protection rather than lending on credit strength alone. For perspective, Xerox's market capitalization is only $482 million, meaning they're taking on debt nearly 1.66x their entire equity value.

The complex escrow arrangement for the Second Lien Notes funding the Lexmark acquisition demonstrates creditor caution about transaction risks. This debt restructuring will dramatically increase Xerox's annual interest burden - potentially by over $40 million annually compared to previous financing.

While securing long-term financing provides stability through 2030/2031, the punitive rates will constrain future operational flexibility. This refinancing likely signals cash flow pressures and access to more favorable capital markets, forcing the company to accept these onerous terms to fund operations and complete the strategic Lexmark acquisition.

NORWALK, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Xerox Corporation today announced the closing of its offering of (i) $400,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of 10.250% Senior Secured First Lien Notes due 2030 (the “First Lien Notes”) issued by Xerox Corporation and guaranteed by Xerox Holdings Corporation (“Xerox” and, together with Xerox Corporation, the “Company”) and certain of Xerox’s domestic and foreign subsidiaries and (ii) $400,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of 13.500% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due 2031 (the “Second Lien Notes” and, together with the First Lien Notes, the “Notes”) issued by Xerox Issuer Corporation (the “Escrow Issuer”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Xerox Corporation in a private placement to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”) and non-U.S. persons outside the United States pursuant to Regulation S under the Act.

Xerox Corporation intends to use the net proceeds from the offering of the First Lien Notes, together with cash on hand, to redeem Xerox’s 5.000% Senior Notes due 2025 (“2025 Notes”) in full on or prior to their maturity and to pay fees and expenses, including redemption premiums and accrued interest, in connection with the offering, the Lexmark Acquisition (as defined below) and the related transactions, including redemption premiums and accrued interest in connection with the related transactions. Xerox redeemed an aggregate principal amount of $90 million of the 2025 Notes on April 11, 2025, with the balance to be redeemed on or prior to maturity. Pending the application of the proceeds of the First Lien Notes to redeem the remaining 2025 Notes, Xerox will use the proceeds of the First Lien Notes for general corporate purposes, including the repayment of $95 million aggregate principal amount of borrowings under Xerox Corporation’s first lien senior secured term loan credit facility.

Xerox Corporation intends to use the net proceeds from the offering of the Second Lien Notes to (i) fund a portion of the purchase price for the proposed acquisition (the “Lexmark Acquisition”) of all of the issued and outstanding equity securities of Lexmark International II, LLC (“Lexmark”), as previously announced on December 22, 2024 and the repayment of substantially all of Lexmark’s outstanding debt (together with accrued interest and any applicable expenses, fees or premiums) and (ii) pay fees and expenses in connection with the offering, the Lexmark Acquisition and the related transactions.

Pending consummation of the Lexmark Acquisition, concurrently with the issuance of the Second Lien Notes, the gross proceeds of the Second Lien Notes will be deposited into an escrow account for the benefit of the holders of the Second Lien Notes until such date that certain escrow release conditions, including the consummation of the Lexmark Acquisition, have been satisfied. If the Lexmark Acquisition is not consummated on or prior to December 22, 2025 (subject to extension) or upon the occurrence of certain other events, the Second Lien Notes will be subject to a special mandatory redemption at a price equal to 100% of the aggregate issue price of the Second Lien Notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, from, and including, the most recent interest payment date, or April 11, 2025, if no interest has been paid, but excluding, the special mandatory redemption date.

Upon the consummation of the Lexmark Acquisition, subject to certain escrow release conditions, the escrowed proceeds of the Second Lien Notes will be released (the “Escrow Release”) and the Escrow Issuer will be merged with and into Xerox Corporation. Xerox Corporation, Xerox and certain of Xerox’s domestic and foreign subsidiaries that guarantee the First Lien Notes will enter into one or more supplemental indentures to the Second Lien Indenture to provide for the assumption by Xerox Corporation of the obligations of the Escrow Issuer as issuer of the Second Lien Notes and for the guarantees of the Second Lien Notes by Xerox and such subsidiaries.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, the Notes, the related guarantees or any other security, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale of any securities in any state or jurisdiction in which, or to any persons to whom, such offering, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About Xerox Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: XRX)

For more than 100 years, Xerox has continually redefined the workplace experience. Harnessing our leadership position in office and production print technology, we are a services-led, software-enabled organization that sustainably powers the hybrid workplace of today and tomorrow. Our comprehensive suite of services and solutions, including advanced AI-driven technologies, helps businesses navigate digital transformation, optimize workflows and achieve operational excellence. Today, Xerox is continuing its legacy of innovation to deliver client-centric and digitally driven technology solutions and meet the needs of today’s global, distributed workforce. Whether in an office, a classroom, or a hospital, we empower our clients to thrive in an ever-changing business landscape.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release and other written or oral statements made from time to time by management contain “forward looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve certain risks and uncertainties. The words “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “will”, “would”, “could”, “can”, “should”, “targeting”, “projecting”, “driving”, “future”, “plan”, “predict”, “may” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The Company’s actual results may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management’s current beliefs, assumptions and are subject to a number of other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially.

Such factors include but are not limited to: applicable market conditions; global macroeconomic conditions, including inflation, slower growth or recession, delays or disruptions in the global supply chain, higher interest rates, and wars and other conflicts, including the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine; our ability to succeed in a competitive environment, including by developing new products and service offerings and preserving our existing products and market share as well as repositioning our business in the face of customer preference, technological, and other change, such as evolving return-to-office and hybrid working trends; failure of our customers, vendors, and logistics partners to perform their contractual obligations to us; our ability to attract, train, and retain key personnel; execution risks around our Reinvention; the risk of breaches of our security systems due to cyber, malware, or other intentional attacks that could expose us to liability, litigation, regulatory action or damage our reputation; our ability to obtain adequate pricing for our products and services and to maintain and improve our cost structure; changes in economic and political conditions, trade protection measures, licensing requirements, and tax laws in the United States and in the foreign countries in which we do business; the risk that multi-year contracts with governmental entities could be terminated prior to the end of the contract term and that civil or criminal penalties and administrative sanctions could be imposed on us if we fail to comply with the terms of such contracts and applicable law; interest rates, cost of capital, and access to credit markets; risks related to our indebtedness; the imposition of new or incremental trade protection measures such as tariffs and import or export restrictions; funding requirements associated with our employee pension and retiree health benefit plans; changes in foreign currency exchange rates; the risk that we may be subject to new or heightened regulatory or operation risks as a result of our, or third parties,’ use or anticipated use of artificial intelligence technologies; the risk that our operations and products may not comply with applicable worldwide regulatory requirements, particularly environmental regulations and directives and anti-corruption laws; the outcome of litigation and regulatory proceedings to which we may be a party; laws, regulations, international agreements and other initiatives to limit greenhouse gas emissions or relating to climate change, as well as the physical effects of climate change; the ultimate outcome of our acquisition of Lexmark; the satisfaction of the conditions to the closing of the proposed transaction in a timely manner; the ability of the combined company to achieve potential market share expansion; the ability of the combined company to achieve the identified synergies; that the regulatory approvals required for the proposed transaction may not be obtained on the terms expected or on the anticipated schedule at all; the Company’s ability to finance the proposed acquisition of Lexmark; the Company’s indebtedness, including the indebtedness the Company expects to incur and/or assume in connection with the proposed acquisition of Lexmark and the need to generate sufficient cash flows to service and repay such debt; the ability to integrate the Lexmark business into the Company and realize the anticipated strategic benefits of the transaction within the expected time-frames or at all; that such integration may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; that operating costs, customer loss and business disruption (including, without limitation, difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees, customers or suppliers) may be greater than expected following the proposed transaction or the public announcement of the proposed transaction; the retention of certain key employees of Lexmark; potential litigation relating to the potential transaction that could be instituted against the Company or its directors; rating agency actions and the Company’s ability to access short- and long-term debt markets on a timely and affordable basis; general economic conditions that are less favorable than expected; and other factors that are set forth from time to time in the Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including the combined Annual Report on Form 10-K of Xerox Holdings and Xerox Corporation for the year ended December 31, 2024.

These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release or as of the date to which they refer, and the Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events or developments, except as required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250411380128/en/

Media Contact: Callie Ferrari, APR, Callie.Ferrari@xerox.com, +1-203-615-3363



Investor Contact: David Beckel, Xerox, +1-203-849-2318, David.Beckel@xerox.com

Source: Xerox Corporation

FAQ

What is the total value of Xerox (XRX) senior secured notes offering in 2024?

Xerox's total notes offering amounts to $800 million, split between $400 million in First Lien Notes (10.250%) due 2030 and $400 million in Second Lien Notes (13.500%) due 2031.

How will Xerox (XRX) use the proceeds from the First Lien Notes?

The First Lien Notes proceeds will be used to redeem the 5.000% Senior Notes due 2025 and pay related fees, including $95 million repayment of borrowings under the first lien senior secured term loan facility.

What happens to the Second Lien Notes if XRX's Lexmark acquisition fails?

If the Lexmark acquisition isn't completed by December 22, 2025, the Second Lien Notes will be subject to special mandatory redemption at 100% of the issue price plus accrued interest.

When did Xerox (XRX) announce the Lexmark acquisition?

Xerox announced the proposed acquisition of Lexmark International II, on December 22, 2024.