Credit Arrangements
9 Months Ended
May 31, 2011
Credit Arrangements [Abstract]  
CREDIT ARRANGEMENTS
NOTE 8 — CREDIT ARRANGEMENTS
The Company’s revolving credit facility of $400 million has a maturity date of November 24, 2012 and includes certain covenants. The Company is required to maintain a minimum interest coverage ratio of not less than 2.50 to 1.00 for the twelve month cumulative period ended May 31, 2011 and for each fiscal quarter on a rolling twelve month cumulative period thereafter. At May 31, 2011, the Company’s interest coverage ratio was 3.37 to 1.00. The agreement also requires the Company to maintain a debt to capitalization ratio covenant not greater than 0.60 to 1.00. At May 31, 2011, the Company’s debt to capitalization ratio was 0.50 to 1.00. The agreement provides for interest based on LIBOR, Eurodollar or Bank of America’s prime rate. The facility fee is 60 basis points per annum and no compensating balances are required.
It is the Company’s policy to maintain contractual bank credit lines equal to 100% of the amount of the commercial paper program. There were no amounts outstanding at May 31, 2011 and $10 million outstanding at August 31, 2010 under the commercial paper program. There were no amounts outstanding on the revolving credit facility at May 31, 2011 and August 31, 2010. The availability under the revolving credit agreement is reduced by any outstanding amount under the commercial paper program. At May 31, 2011, $400 million was available under the revolving credit agreement.
The Company has numerous uncommitted credit facilities available from domestic and international banks. No commitment fees or compensating balances are required under these credit facilities. These credit facilities are used, in general, to support import letters of credit, foreign exchange transactions and short term advances which are priced at market rates.
Long-term debt, including the net effect of interest rate swap revaluation adjustments, is as follows:
                 
    May 31,     August 31,  
(in thousands)   2011     2010  
5.625% notes due November 2013 (weighted average rate of 3.5% at May 31, 2011)
  $ 205,966     $ 208,253  
6.50% notes due July 2017 (weighted average rate of 4.8% at May 31, 2011)
    399,724       400,000  
7.35% notes due August 2018 (weighted average rate of 5.4% at May 31, 2011)
    511,645       524,185  
CMCZ term note due May 2013
    58,226       69,716  
CMCS financing agreement
    21,574       19,006  
Other, including equipment notes
    6,593       6,710  
 
           
 
    1,203,728       1,227,870  
Less current maturities
    38,246       30,588  
 
           
 
  $ 1,165,482     $ 1,197,282  
 
           
Interest on the notes, except for the CMC Zawiercie (“CMCZ”) note, is payable semiannually.
Effective May 20, 2011, the Company entered into an interest rate swap transaction on its 6.50% notes due July 2017 (“2017 Notes”). On March 23, 2010, the Company entered into two interest rate swap transactions on its 5.625% notes due November 2013 (“2013 Notes”) and 7.35% notes due August 2018 (“2018 Notes”). The swap transactions were designated as fair value hedges at inception and convert all fixed rate interest to floating rate interest on the Company’s 2013 Notes, $300 million on the 2017 Notes and $300 million on the 2018 Notes and have termination dates of November 15, 2013, July 15, 2017 and August 15, 2018, respectively. The swap transactions costs are based on the floating LIBOR plus 303 basis points with respect to the 2013 Notes, LIBOR plus 374 basis points with respect to the 2017 Notes and LIBOR plus 367 basis points with respect to the 2018 Notes.
CMCZ has a five year term note of PLN 160 million ($58.2 million) with a group of four banks. The term note is used to finance operating expenses of CMCZ and the development of a rolling mill. The note has scheduled principal and interest payments in fifteen equal quarterly installments which began in November 2009 with the final installment in May 2013. The weighted average interest rate at May 31, 2011 was 6.5%. The term note contains four financial covenants for CMCZ. At May 31, 2011, CMCZ was not in compliance with one of the financial covenants which resulted in a guarantee by Commercial Metals Company continuing to be effective. As a result of the guarantee, the financial covenant requirements became void; however, all other terms of the loan remain in effect, including the payment schedule. The guarantee will cease to be effective when CMCZ is in compliance with the financial covenant for two consecutive quarters.
CMC Sisak (“CMCS”) has a five year financing agreement of EUR 15.0 million ($21.6 million). The loan is intended to be used for capital expenditures and other uses. The note has scheduled principal and interest payments in seven semiannual installments beginning in July 2011 and ending in July 2014. The weighted average interest rate at May 31, 2011 was 5.0%.
Interest of $0.7 million and $4.2 million was capitalized in the cost of property, plant and equipment constructed for the nine months ended May 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Interest of $32.6 million and $40.5 million was paid for the nine months ended May 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.