Partner Communications Company Ltd. ("Partner" or "the Company")
(Nasdaq:PTNR)(TASE:PTNR), a leading Israeli communications operator,
announced
today that it is currently considering the offering of debt securities
in Israel of up to NIS 1.2 billion par value through a public offering
pursuant to a shelf offering report and the Company's shelf prospectus
dated September 3, 2009, as amended on May 23, 2010 and on September 20,
2010 ("the Shelf Prospectus"). The Company intends to use
the proceeds of such an offering, if made, for the Company's current
needs including settling payments on, or purchasing, the Company's
Series A Notes and/or refinancing other debt. Such an offering, if made,
will be pursuant to a 'uniform public offering', as defined in the
Securities regulations promulgated under the Israeli Securities Law,
1968, as further described in a shelf offering report to be published by
the Company, if published.
In connection with the potential debt offering, the Company is
considering the offering of notes through expanding three of the
Company's series of notes currently traded on the Tel Aviv Stock
Exchange Ltd.: (1) Series C Notes bearing an annual fixed interest rate
of 3.35% and linked to the Israeli Consumer Price Index; (2) Series D
Notes bearing a floating annual interest rate based on the annual
interest rate of short term debt issued by the State of Israel ('Makam')
in addition to a fixed annual spread of 1.20%; and (3) Series E Notes
bearing an annual fixed interest rate of 5.5% and not linked to the
Israeli Consumer Price Index.
The Series C Notes, Series D Notes and Series E Notes were initially
issued by the Company pursuant to a shelf offering report dated April
15, 2010, as amended on April 21, 2010. The terms of the Series C Notes,
Series D Notes and Series E Notes, to be issued, if issued, would be
identical to the terms of the currently outstanding Series C Notes,
Series D Notes and Series E Notes. The Company has not yet made any
definite decision as to the offering of any securities, nor as to its
scope, terms or timing, nor is there any certainty that such an offering
will be made, in part or in whole, or that a shelf offering report will
be published.
Any public offering of securities, if made, will be made only in Israel.
Securities, if offered, will not be registered under the U.S. Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and may not be offered
or sold in the United States and/or to U.S. Persons (as defined in
Regulation "S" promulgated under the Securities Act) without
registration under the Securities Act or an applicable exemption from
the registration requirements of the Securities Act.
In this connection, on April 14, 2011, Standard & Poor's Maalot
announced that it "assigned its 'ilAA-' rating to additional
Series C and/or D and/or E bonds of up to NIS1.2 billion par value, to
be issued by Partner Communications Company Ltd. (ilAA-/Negative)
through an expansion of the series.
The proceeds from the issuance are designated for Partner's current
needs, including settling payments on, or purchasing, the company's
Series A bonds, and/or refinancing other debt. The rating reflects our
assessment that the expansion of the bonds in itself will not negatively
influence the company's financial risk profile, nor the rating of the
existing bond series, as a significant increase in the net financial
debt beyond the company's consolidated debt post acquisition of 012
Smile, is not anticipated." For further information see
Standard & Poor's Maalot's announcement dated April 14, 2011 on: http://www.maalot.co.il/reports/495/B14042011.pdf
or its informal English translation attached to our Form 6-K to be
furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission later today. In
addition, for details regarding the rationale behind the rating of the
Company, see Standard & Poor's Maalot's rating report dated October 19,
2010, in the Standard & Poor's Maalot's announcement on: http://www.maalot.co.il/reports/495/RU19102010.pdf
or its informal English translation attached to our Form 6-K furnished
to the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 20, 2010.
For financial information regarding 012 Smile Telecom Ltd. and the
implications of its acquisition by the Company and for further certain
supplemental financial information, all prepared in connection with the
potential debt offering in Israel, see our Form 6-K to be furnished to
the Securities and Exchange Commission later today.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to buy any securities.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
Section 21E of the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and
the safe harbor provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "believe", "anticipate", "expect",
"intend", "seek", "will", "plan", "could", "may", "project", "goal",
"target" and similar expressions often identify forward-looking
statements but are not the only way we identify these statements. All
statements other than statements of historical fact included in this
press release regarding our future performance, plans to increase
revenues or margins or preserve or expand market share in existing or
new markets, reduce expenses and any statements regarding other future
events or our future prospects, are forward-looking statements.
We have based these forward-looking statements on our current knowledge
and our present beliefs and expectations regarding possible future
events. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks,
uncertainties and assumptions about Partner, consumer habits and
preferences in cellular telephone usage, trends in the Israeli
telecommunications industry in general, the impact of current global
economic conditions and possible regulatory and legal developments. For
a description of some of the risks we face, see "Item 3D. Key
Information - Risk Factors", "Item 4. - Information on the Company",
"Item 5. - Operating and Financial Review and Prospects", "Item 8A. -
Consolidated Financial Statements and Other Financial Information -
Legal and Administrative Proceedings" and "Item 11. - Quantitative and
Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk" in the Company's 2010
Annual Report (20-F) filed with the SEC on March 16, 2011. In light of
these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events
discussed in this press release might not occur, and actual results may
differ materially from the results anticipated. We undertake no
obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
About Partner Communications
Partner Communications Company Ltd. ("Partner") is a leading Israeli
provider of telecommunications services (cellular, fixed-line telephony
and internet services) under the orange™ brand. The Company provides
mobile communications services to over 3 million subscribers in Israel.
Partner’s ADSs are quoted on the NASDAQ Global Select Market™ and its
shares are traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (NASDAQ and TASE: PTNR).
Partner is an approximately 45%-owned subsidiary of Scailex Corporation
Ltd. ("Scailex"). Scailex's shares are traded on the Tel Aviv Stock
Exchange under the symbol SCIX and are quoted on "Pink Quote" under the
symbol SCIXF.PK. Scailex currently operates in two major domains of
activity in addition to its holding in Partner: (1) the sole import,
distribution and maintenance of Samsung mobile handset and accessories
products primarily to the major cellular operators in Israel (2)
management of its financial assets.
For more information about Scailex, see http://www.scailex.com.
For more information about Partner, see http://www.orange.co.il/investor_site
About 012 Smile Telecom Ltd.
012 Smile is a wholly owned subsidiary of Partner Communications which
provides international long distance services, internet services and
local telecommunication fixed-line services (including telephony
services using VOB) under the 012 Smile brand. The completion of the
purchase of 012 Smile by Partner Communications took place on March 3,
2011. For further details see the press release dated March 3, 2011.
