ST. LOUIS, Dec. 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Ameren Illinois
Company, a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE), announced
today the pricing of a public offering of $280 million aggregate principal amount of 4.80%
senior secured notes due 2043 at 99.464% of their principal
amount. The transaction is expected to close on Dec. 10, 2013.
Ameren Illinois intends to use the net proceeds of the offering
to repay at maturity $150 million
aggregate principal amount of its 8.875% senior secured notes due
Dec. 15, 2013 and to repay
outstanding short-term debt.
BNP Paribas Securities Corp., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner
& Smith Incorporated, Mitsubishi UFJ Securities (USA), Inc. and RBC Capital Markets, LLC are
acting as joint book-running managers for the offering.
The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus and
related prospectus supplement. A prospectus supplement related to
the offering will be filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. Copies of the prospectus supplement and accompanying
prospectus, when available, for the offering may be obtained on the
Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov, or by
contacting BNP Paribas Securities Corp., 787 Seventh Avenue, 7th
Floor, New York, New York 10019,
Attention: Syndicate Desk, Phone: (800) 854-5674; Merrill Lynch,
Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, 222 Broadway,
11th Floor, New York, New
York 10038, Attention: Prospectus Department, toll-free:
1-800-294-1322 or email: dg.prospectus_requests@baml.com;
Mitsubishi UFJ Securities (USA),
Inc., 1633 Broadway, 29th Floor, New
York, New York 10019, Attention: Capital Markets Group,
Phone: (877) 649-6848; or RBC Capital Markets, LLC Three World
Financial Center, 200 Vesey Street, 8th Floor, New York, New York 10281, Attention: DCM
Transaction Management, Phone: (866) 375-6829.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to buy the notes or any other securities
and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any
jurisdiction in which, or to any person to whom, such an offer,
solicitation or sale is unlawful.
About Ameren Illinois
Ameren Illinois delivers energy to 1.2 million electric and
806,000 natural gas customers in downstate Illinois, and its mission is to meet their
energy needs in a safe, reliable, efficient and environmentally
responsible manner. Ameren Illinois' service area covers more than
1,200 communities and 43,700 square miles. For more information,
visit AmerenIllinois.com.
Forward-looking Statements
Statements in this release not based on historical facts are
considered "forward-looking" and, accordingly, involve risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those discussed. Although such forward-looking statements have
been made in good faith and are based on reasonable assumptions,
there is no assurance that the expected results will be achieved.
These statements include (without limitation) statements as to
future expectations, beliefs, plans, strategies, objectives,
events, conditions, and financial performance. In connection with
the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995, we are providing this cautionary statement to
identify important factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those anticipated. The following factors, in
addition to those discussed under Risk Factors in Ameren Illinois
Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2012, and in its
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended
March 31, 2013, and elsewhere in this
release and in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, could cause actual results to differ materially from
management expectations suggested in such forward-looking
statements:
- regulatory, judicial, or legislative actions, including changes
in regulatory policies and ratemaking determinations, such as the
outcome of Ameren Illinois' natural gas delivery service rate case
filed in 2013; the court appeals of Ameren Illinois' electric rate
order issued in 2012; Ameren Illinois' request for rehearing of the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) July 2012 and June
2013 orders regarding the alleged inclusion of acquisition
premiums in Ameren Illinois transmission rates; and future
regulatory, judicial, or legislative actions that seek to change
regulatory recovery mechanisms;
- the effect of Ameren Illinois participating in a
performance-based formula ratemaking process under the Illinois
Energy Infrastructure Modernization Act (IEIMA), including the
direct relationship between Ameren Illinois' return on common
equity and the 30-year United States Treasury bond yields, the
related financial commitments required by the IEIMA, and the
resulting uncertain impact on the financial condition, results of
operations and liquidity of Ameren Illinois;
- changes in laws and other governmental actions, including
monetary, fiscal, and tax policies;
- the effectiveness of our risk management strategies and the use
of financial and derivative instruments;
- business and economic conditions, including their impact on
interest rates, bad debt expense, and demand for our products;
- disruptions of the capital markets, deterioration in Ameren
Illinois' credit metrics, or other events that make Ameren
Illinois' access to necessary capital, including short-term credit
and liquidity, impossible, more difficult, or more costly;
- Ameren Illinois' assessment of its liquidity;
- actions of credit rating agencies and the effects of such
actions;
- the impact of weather conditions and other natural phenomena on
Ameren Illinois and its customers;
- the impact of system outages;
- the impact of current environmental regulations on utilities
and new, more stringent or changing requirements, including those
related to greenhouse gases and energy efficiency, that are enacted
over time and that could increase our costs, result in an
impairment of our assets, result in sales of our assets, reduce our
customers' demand for electricity or natural gas, or otherwise have
a negative financial effect;
- the inability of our counterparties and affiliates to meet
their obligations with respect to contracts, credit agreements, and
financial instruments;
- legal and administrative proceedings; and
- acts of sabotage, war, terrorism, cybersecurity attacks or
intentionally disruptive acts.
Given these uncertainties, undue reliance should not be placed
on these forward-looking statements. Except to the extent required
by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to
update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect
new information or future events.
SOURCE Ameren Corporation