PRAGUE (Reuters) – Czech energy group EPH, controlled by billionaire investor Daniel Kretinsky, raised its first Japanese loan facility worth 80 billion yen ($527 million), as part of efforts to diversify funding access, the company said.
The so-called Samurai loan matures in February 2030 and pays an interest margin of 160 basis points over the Tokyo overnight average rate (TONAR), EPH said in a statement on Monday.
SMBC Group was the sole coordinator of the loan.
“We are delighted to have raised our debut Samurai loan, which is an important milestone in the further diversification of EPH’s funding model,” Vice-Chairman Pavel Horsky said in a statement.
It was the largest debut for a corporate borrower in the Samurai loan market since the global financial crisis, Horsky added.
Kretinsky, a 49-year-old former investment bank lawyer, has built Energeticky a Prumyslovy Holding (EPH) into one of Europe’s largest energy groups since its founding in 2009, while also diversifying his investments into retail, media and other areas across Europe in recent years.
EPH reported earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of 3.6 billion euros ($3.76 billion) on revenue of 24.2 billion euros in 2023.
($1=151.8500 yen)
($1=0.9563 euros)
(Reporting by Jason Hovet; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
