Virgin Media kicks off autumn session with O2 financing for divi

Virgin Media started the autumn session in European leveraged finance in style with a five part offering to raise the cash for its joint venture with Telefónica’s O2 unit. The deal underscores how far capital markets have come since the dark days of April, when the £30bn ($38.9bn) mega merger was backed by an investment grade loan to insulate the tie-up from the effects of a prolonged downturn in leveraged credit, reports Owen Sanderson.