SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Prologis, Inc. (NYSE: PLD), the leading owner, operator and developer of global industrial real estate, today announced that Moody's Investors Service upgraded ProLogis European Properties' (Euronext: PEPR) corporate credit rating to Baa3, with stable outlook, from Ba1.
"The Moody's rating upgrade strengthens our financial position, reduces our costs and further enhances PEPR's access to the broader capital markets," said William E. Sullivan, chief financial officer. "With its return to investment grade PEPR will realize approximately $13 million (euro 9.2 million) in annual interest expense savings. The majority of these savings will begin to be realized in late-October and represent modest upside to our previous guidance."
PEPR's rating upgrade to Baa3 is a result of its announcement to offer up to euro 97.5 million to significant existing unit holders. This upgrade immediately reduces the borrowing margin on PEPR's approximately euro 248 million senior unsecured term loan by 25 basis points and the borrowing margin on its euro 50 million senior unsecured revolving credit facility by 15 basis points. More significantly, the interest rate on PEPR's approximately euro 494 million Eurobond will decrease by 175 basis points to 5.875 percent from 7.625 percent after the October 23, 2011 annual reset date.
About Prologis
Prologis, Inc. the leading owner, operator and developer of industrial real estate, focused on global and regional markets across the Americas, Europe and Asia. As of June 30, 2011, Prologis owned or had investments in, on a consolidated basis or through unconsolidated joint ventures, properties and development projects expected to total approximately 600 million square feet (55.7 million square meters) in 22 countries. The company leases modern distribution facilities to more than 4,500 customers, including manufacturers, retailers, transportation companies, third-party logistics providers and other enterprises.
Prologis' press releases are available by contacting its Investor Relations department at +1 415 394 9000.
Some of the information included in this press release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe-harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, and you should not rely on the forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events or circumstances reflected in forward-looking statements might not occur. You can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "should," "seeks," "approximately," "intends," "plans," "pro forma," "estimates" or "anticipates" or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases. You can also identify forward-looking statements by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions. Forward-looking statements are necessarily dependent on assumptions, data or methods that may be incorrect or imprecise and we may not be able to realize them. We caution you not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect our analysis only and speak only as of the date of this report or the dates indicated in the statements. We assume no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those set forth or contemplated in the forward-looking statements: changes in general economic conditions in California, the U.S. or globally (including financial market fluctuations), global trade or in the real estate sector (including risks relating to decreasing real estate valuations and impairment charges); risks associated with using debt to fund the company's business activities, including refinancing and interest rate risks; the company's failure to obtain, renew, or extend necessary financing or access the debt or equity markets; the company's failure to maintain its current credit agency ratings or comply with its debt covenants; risks related to the merger transaction with ProLogis, the risk that the merger may not achieve its intended results; risks related to the company's obligations in the event of certain defaults under co-investment venture and other debt; defaults on or non-renewal of leases by customers, lease renewals at lower than expected rent or failure to lease properties at all or on favorable rents and terms; difficulties in identifying properties, portfolios of properties, or interests in real-estate related entities or platforms to acquire and in effecting acquisitions on advantageous terms and the failure of acquisitions to perform as the company expects; unknown liabilities acquired in connection with the acquired properties, portfolios of properties, or interests in real-estate related entities; the company's failure to successfully integrate acquired properties and operations; risks and uncertainties affecting property development, redevelopment and value-added conversion (including construction delays, cost overruns, the company's inability to obtain necessary permits and financing, the company's inability to lease properties at all or at favorable rents and terms, and public opposition to these activities); the company's failure to set up additional funds, attract additional investment in existing funds or to contribute properties to its co-investment ventures due to such factors as its inability to acquire, develop, or lease properties that meet the investment criteria of such ventures, or the co-investment ventures' inability to access debt and equity capital to pay for property contributions or their allocation of available capital to cover other capital requirements; risks and uncertainties relating to the disposition of properties to third parties and the company's ability to effect such transactions on advantageous terms and to timely reinvest proceeds from any such dispositions; risks of doing business internationally and global expansion, including unfamiliarity with the new markets and currency risks; risks of changing personnel and roles; losses in excess of the company's insurance coverage; changes in local, state and federal regulatory requirements, including changes in real estate and zoning laws; increases in real property tax rates; risks associated with the company's tax structuring; increases in interest rates and operating costs or greater than expected capital expenditures; environmental uncertainties and risks related to natural disasters; and our failure to qualify and maintain our status as a real estate investment trust. Our success also depends upon economic trends generally, various market conditions and fluctuations and those other risk factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 and our other public reports.
SOURCE Prologis, Inc.
