Solvay
2019 Annual Integrated Report

The Group’s net indebtedness is the balance between its financial debts and other financial instruments, and cash and cash equivalents.

In € million

2019

2018

Financial debt

4,513

3,810

Cash and cash equivalents

(809)

(1,103)

Other financial instruments

(119)

(101)

Net indebtedness

3,586

2,605

The increase in the net indebtedness is mainly due to (a) the increase of the financial debt, resulting from the recognition of additional lease liabilities following the adoption of IFRS 16 Leases and that amount to € 470 million at the end of 2019, and (b) the increase of short-term treasury notes. The repayment of the € 700 million hybrid bond (recognized in equity) in June 2019, using available cash (partially resulting from the € 300 million cash available after the issuance of an hybrid bond in September 2018), also impacted cash and cash equivalents.

Solvay Investment Grade rating is Baa2/P2 (stable outlook) with Moody’s and BBB/A2 (stable outlook) with Standard & Poor’s.

Financial debt: main borrowings

In € million
(except where indicated)

 

2019

2018

Nomi­nal amount

Coupon

Maturity

Secured

Amount at amort­ized cost

Fair value

Amount at amor­tized cost

Fair value

Senior US$ notes (144A;US$ 800 million)

712

3.40%

2020

No

 

 

697

697

Senior € notes

750

1.625%

2022

No

746

781

745

781

Senior US$ note Cytec Industries Inc (issuance US$ 400 million)

175

3.5%

2023

No

169

178

165

167

Senior US$ note Cytec Industries Inc (issuance US$ 250 million)

146

3.95%

2025

No

143

150

140

138

Senior US$ notes (144A;US$ 800 million)

712

4.45%

2025

No

709

775

695

706

Senior € notes

500

2.75%

2027

No

496

584

496

542

Senior € notes

600

0.500%

2029

No

595

582

 

 

Total

 

 

 

 

2,859

3,049

2,937

3,032

In 2019 Solvay SA issued a 10-year Senior note (€ 600 million) with an 0.5% yearly coupon in parallel with the early repayment of the US$ 800 million Senior US$ notes of Solvay Finance America LLC, initially maturing in 2020.

There are no instances of default on the above-mentioned financial debts. There are no financial covenants, neither on Solvay SA, nor on any of the Group’s holding companies.

Other financial instruments

In € million

2019

2018

Currency swaps

3

1

Other marketable securities > 3 months

44

68

Other current financial assets

72

32

Other financial instruments

119

101

The other marketable securities > 3 months include the bank drafts position.

The other current financial assets mainly include margin calls of Energy Services for instruments with a negative fair value, and represent collateral for the obligations.

Cash and cash equivalents

In € million

2019

2018

Cash

664

907

Term deposits

144

197

Cash and cash equivalents

809

1,103

By their nature, the carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents is equal to, or a very good proxy of, its fair value.

Changes in financial debt and in other financial instruments arising from financing activities

In € million

2018

2019

Total

IFRS 16 adoption

Cash flows from increase of borrowings

Cash flows from repayment of borrowings

Cash flows from payment of lease liabilities

Changes in foreign exchange rates

Changes in other current financial assets

Other in financing cash flows

Transfer from non-current to current

Other

Total

Bonds

2,937

 

597

(712)

 

36

 

 

 

 

2,859

Other non-current debts

208

 

48

(10)

 

3

 

 

(109)

16

156

Long-term finance lease obligations

35

(36)

 

 

 

1

 

 

(2)

1

 

Lease liabilities – Long-term portion

 

376

 

 

 

5

 

 

(123)

111

368

Non-current financial debt

3,180

340

645

(721)

 

45

 

 

(234)

128

3,382

Short-term financial debt (excluding finance lease obligations)

616

 

2,399

(2,054)

 

 

 

(28)

109

(22)

1,020

Currency swaps

12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4)

8

Short-term finance lease obligations

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

(2)

 

Lease liabilities – Short-term portion

 

93

 

 

(110)

 

 

 

123

(5)

102

Current financial debt

630

93

2,399

(2,054)

(110)

 

 

(28)

234

(33)

1,132

Total financial debt

3,810

433

3,044

(2,776)

(110)

46

 

(28)

 

95

4,513

Currency swaps

(1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

(3)

Other marketable securities > 3 months

(67)

 

 

 

 

(1)

24

 

 

 

(44)

Other current financial assets

(32)

 

 

 

 

 

(57)

12

 

5

(73)

Other financial instruments

(101)

 

 

 

 

(1)

(32)

12

 

3

(119)

Total cash flows

 

433

3,044

(2,776)

(110)

 

(32)

(16)

 

 

 

The financial debt increased from € 3,810 million at the end of 2018 to € 4,513 million at the end of 2019.

The non-current financial debt increases by € 202 million, mainly resulting from:

  • the recognition of additional lease liabilities following the application of IFRS 16 Leases (€ 340 million at transition date, € 368 million at December 31, 2019);
  • the issuance of Senior € notes for € 600 million;
  • the early repayment of the US$ 800 million US$ Senior Bond;
  • the transfer to current financial debt for € (234) million.

The current financial debt increases by € 503 million, mainly resulting from:

  • the commercial papers outstanding at the end of the year (€ 700 million in 2019, against € 246 million in 2018);
  • the transfer from non-current financial debt for € 234 million.

The amounts presented in the consolidated statement of cash flows under “increase in borrowings” and “repayment of borrowings” include the issuance of € 2,365 million and the repayment of € 1,911 million of commercial papers.

The € 111 million in “Other” mainly relates to leases that commenced during the year, as well as lease modifications.