v3.19.3.a.u2
Debt
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Debt Disclosure  
Debt [Text Block]

NOTE 12. DEBT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long-term debt of AT&T and its subsidiaries, including interest rates and maturities, is summarized as follows

at December 31:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2019

 

2018

Notes and debentures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest Rates

 

Maturities1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.80%

-

2.99%

 

2019

-

2039

 

$

17,404

 

$

14,404

 

 

3.00%

-

4.99%

 

2019

-

2050

 

 

102,595

 

 

104,291

 

 

5.00%

-

6.99%

 

2019

-

2095

 

 

34,513

 

 

37,175

 

 

7.00%

-

9.15%

 

2019

-

2097

 

 

5,050

 

 

5,976

Credit agreement borrowings

 

4,969

 

 

12,618

Other

 

-

 

 

89

Fair value of interest rate swaps recorded in debt

 

26

 

 

(32)

 

 

164,557

 

 

174,521

Unamortized (discount) premium - net

 

(2,996)

 

 

(2,526)

Unamortized issuance costs

 

(452)

 

 

(466)

Total notes and debentures

 

161,109

 

 

171,529

Finance lease obligations

 

2,034

 

 

1,911

Total long-term debt, including current maturities

 

163,143

 

 

173,440

Current maturities of long-term debt

 

(11,834)

 

 

(7,190)

Total long-term debt

$

151,309

 

$

166,250

1

Maturities assume putable debt is redeemed by the holders at the next opportunity.

We had outstanding Euro, British pound sterling, Canadian dollar, Mexican peso, Australian dollar, Brazilian real, and Swiss franc denominated debt of approximately $42,485 and $41,356 at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

 

The weighted-average interest rate of our entire long-term debt portfolio, including the impact of derivatives, remained unchanged at 4.4% at December 31, 2019 and 2018.

 

Current maturities of long-term debt include debt that may be put back to us by the holders in 2020. We have $1,000 of annual put reset securities that may be put each April until maturity in 2021. If the holders do not require us to repurchase the securities, the interest rate will be reset based on current market conditions. Likewise, we have an accreting zero-coupon note that may be redeemed each May, until maturity in 2022. If the zero-coupon note (issued for principal of $500 in 2007 and partially exchanged in the 2017 debt exchange offers) is held to maturity, the redemption amount will be $592.

Debt maturing within one year consisted of the following at December 31:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2019

 

 

2018

Current maturities of long-term debt

$

11,834

 

$

7,190

Commercial paper

 

-

 

 

3,048

Bank borrowings1

 

4

 

 

4

Other

 

-

 

 

13

Total

$

11,838

 

$

10,255

1

Outstanding balance of short-term credit facility of a foreign subsidiary.

Financing Activities

During 2019, we received net proceeds of $17,039 on the issuance of $17,235 in long-term debt in various markets, with an average weighted maturity of approximately nine years and a weighted average coupon of 3.4%. We repaid $27,440 in borrowings of various notes with a weighted average coupon of 3.5%.

 

In February 2020, we redeemed $2,619 of 4.600% global notes with an original maturity in 2045 and issued $2,995 of 4.000% global notes due 2049.

 

Debt Exchange and Tender Offers

In June 2019, we completed exchange tender offers. In the exchange offer, approximately $11,041 of notes issued by WarnerMedia subsidiaries with rates between 1.950% and 9.150%, were tendered and accepted in exchange for new series of AT&T Inc. global notes with interest rates and maturities that were identical to the interest rates and maturities of the tendered notes, as well as identical interest payment dates and substantially identical optional redemption provisions. Also, in June 2019, we purchased $590 notes issued by WarnerMedia subsidiaries.

 

On December 19, 2019, we purchased $1,409 of notes issued by various subsidiaries.

 

As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, we were in compliance with all covenants and conditions of instruments governing our debt. Substantially all of our outstanding long-term debt is unsecured. Maturities of outstanding long-term notes and debentures, as of December 31, 2019, and the corresponding weighted-average interest rate scheduled for repayment are as follows:

 

 

2020

 

2021

 

2022

 

2023

 

2024

 

Thereafter

Debt repayments1

$

12,149

 

$

11,036

 

$

11,189

 

$

10,037

 

$

11,225

 

$

112,429

 

Weighted-average interest rate

 

2.9

%

 

3.8

%

 

3.5

%

 

3.5

%

 

3.6

%

 

4.8

%

1

Debt repayments assume putable debt is redeemed by the holders at the next opportunity.

Credit Facilities

General

In December 2018, we amended our five-year revolving credit agreement (the “Amended and Restated Credit Agreement”) and concurrently entered into a new five-year agreement (the “Five Year Credit Agreement,” and, together with the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, the “Credit Agreements”) such that we now have two $7,500 revolving credit agreements totaling $15,000. The Amended and Restated Credit Agreement terminates on December 11, 2021 and the Five Year Credit Agreement terminates on December 11, 2023. No amounts were outstanding under either agreement as of December 31, 2019.

 

In September 2019, we entered into and drew on a $1,300 term loan credit agreement containing (i) a 1.25 year $400 facility due in 2020 (BAML Tranche A Facility), (ii) a 2.25 year $400 facility due in 2021 (BAML Tranche B Facility), and (iii) a 3.25 year $500 facility due in 2022 (BAML Tranche C Facility), with Bank of America, N.A., as agent. No repayment had been made under these facilities as of December 31, 2019.

 

Each of the Agreements contains covenants that are customary for an issuer with an investment grade senior debt credit rating, as well as a net debt-to-EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, and other modifications described in each agreement) financial ratio covenant requiring AT&T to maintain, as of the last day of each fiscal quarter, a ratio of not more than 3.5-to-1. The events of default are customary for agreements of this type and such events would result in the acceleration of, or would permit the lenders to accelerate, as applicable, required payments and would increase each agreement’s relevant Applicable Margin by 2.00% per annum.

 

Revolving Credit Agreements

The obligations of the lenders under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement to provide advances will terminate on December 11, 2021, and under the Five Year Credit Agreement to provide advances will terminate on December 11, 2023, unless the commitments are terminated in whole prior to that date. All advances must be repaid no later than the date on which lenders are no longer obligated to make any advances under the applicable Credit Agreement.

 

Each of the Credit Agreements provides that we and lenders representing more than 50% of the facility amount may agree to extend their commitments under such Credit Agreement for two one-year periods beyond the initial termination date. We have the right to terminate, in whole or in part, amounts committed by the lenders under each of the Credit Agreements in excess of any outstanding advances; however, any such terminated commitments may not be reinstated.

 

Advances under these agreements would bear interest, at AT&T’s option, either:

at a variable annual rate equal to: (1) the highest of (but not less than zero) (a) the rate of interest announced publicly by Citibank in New York, New York, from time to time, as Citibank’s base rate, (b) 0.5% per annum above the federal funds rate, and (c) the London interbank offered rate (or the successor thereto) (“LIBOR”) applicable to dollars for a period of one month plus 1.00%, plus (2) an applicable margin, as set forth in the applicable Credit Agreement (the “Applicable Margin for Base Advances”); or

at a rate equal to: (i) LIBOR (adjusted upwards to reflect any bank reserve costs) for a period of one, two, three or six months, as applicable, plus (ii) an applicable margin, as set forth in the applicable Credit Agreement (the “Applicable Margin for Eurodollar Rate Advances”).

 

We pay a facility fee of 0.070%, 0.080%, 0.100% or 0.125% per annum of the amount of the lender commitments, depending on AT&T’s credit rating.