Apollo Management ventured in the market last week with the acquisition of IMC Global's salt business for $640 million withJ.P. Morgan and Deutsche Bank set to lead a bank loan for Apollo. Credit Suisse First Boston will be providing a bridge to a bond offering and is expected to be on the bank credit. An equity investment of up to $160 million is said to be part of the deal.
An investor following the company said, "the company has big working capital needs, and so will require a large revolver." A term loan "B" will form a portion of the financing and investors will expect a generous spread, she said. Steven Anreder, a spokesman for Apollo, commenting on whether or not Apollo will have to pay the price of financing in a hostile market through either an increased equity investment or a larger spread, said the private equity firm would not have done the transaction if returns were not right. He declined all further comment.