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Debt and Credit Agreements
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Debt and Credit Agreements  
Debt and Credit Agreements

7. Debt and Credit Agreements

        The Company has credit facilities and commercial paper programs available for use throughout the world. The following table illustrates the amounts outstanding on credit facilities and commercial paper programs, and available credit at December 31, 2011. These credit facilities and programs are described in more detail below the table.


Credit Facilities at December 31, 2011

(In thousands)
  Facility
Limit
  Outstanding
Balance
  Available
Credit
 

U.S. commercial paper program

  $ 550,000   $ 39,986   $ 510,014  

Euro commercial paper program

    259,200         259,200  

Multi-year revolving credit facility(a)

    570,000         570,000  

Bilateral credit facility(b)

    25,000         25,000  
               

Totals at December 31, 2011

  $ 1,404,200   $ 39,986   $ 1,364,214 (c)
               

(a)
U.S.-based program.

(b)
International-based program.

(c)
Although the Company has significant available credit, in practice, the Company limits aggregate commercial paper and credit facility borrowings at any one-time to a maximum of $595.0 million (the aggregate amount of the back-up facilities).

        The Company has a U.S. commercial paper borrowing program under which it can issue up to $550 million of short-term notes in the U.S. commercial paper market. In addition, the Company has a 200 million euro commercial paper program, equivalent to approximately $259.2 million at December 31, 2011, which is used to fund the Company's international operations. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company had $40.0 million and no borrowings outstanding, respectively, under the U.S. commercial paper program and no borrowings and $26.7 million outstanding, respectively, under the euro commercial paper program. These borrowings are classified as long-term debt when the Company has the ability and intent to refinance them on a long-term basis through existing long-term credit facilities. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company classified $40.0 million and $26.7 million, respectively, of commercial paper and advances as short-term debt. There were no remaining commercial paper or advances to be reclassified as long-term debt at December 31, 2011 or 2010.

        The Company has a multi-year revolving credit facility in the amount of $570 million through a syndicate of 21 banks, which matures in December 2012. This $570 million facility serves as back-up to the Company's commercial paper programs. Interest rates on the facility are based upon either the announced Citibank Prime Rate, the Federal Funds Effective Rate plus a margin or LIBOR plus a margin. The Company pays a facility fee (currently 0.375% per annum) that varies based upon its credit ratings. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, there were no borrowings outstanding on the $570 million credit facility. The Company is working with its lenders to renew this facility, which is currently anticipated to occur in the first quarter of 2012.

        The Company's bilateral credit facility has been amended to extend the maturity date to December 2012 and to change the facility limit to $25 million. The facility serves as back-up to the Company's commercial paper programs and also provides available financing for the Company's European operations. Borrowings under this facility are available in most major currencies with active markets at interest rates based upon LIBOR plus a margin. Borrowings outstanding at expiration may be repaid over the succeeding 12 months. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, there were no borrowings outstanding on this facility.

        Short-term borrowings amounted to $51.4 million and $31.2 million at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. This includes commercial paper of $40.0 million and $26.7 million at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Other than the commercial paper borrowings, short-term debt was principally bank overdrafts. The weighted-average interest rate for short-term borrowings at December 31, 2011 and 2010 was 1.3% and 1.9%, respectively.

 
  Long-Term Debt  
(In thousands)
  2011   2010  

5.75% notes due May 15, 2018

  $ 447,613   $ 447,312  

5.125% notes due September 15, 2013

    149,705     149,544  

2.7% notes due October 15, 2015

    248,681     248,350  

Other financing payable in varying amounts due principally through 2016 with a weighted-average interest rate of 9.4% and 7.9% at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively

    11,359     8,529  
           

 

    857,358     853,735  

Less: current maturities

    (3,558 )   (4,011 )
           

Total Long-term Debt

  $ 853,800   $ 849,724  
           

        In September 2010, the Company completed a $250 million bond offering that bears interest at 2.7% and matures in October 2015. The net proceeds of this issuance were used to repay, in part, the 200 million British pound sterling-denominated notes that matured October 27, 2010. At that time, the Company issued additional commercial paper debt to repay the remainder of the British pound sterling-denominated notes in excess of the proceeds from the 2010 bond issuance.

        The maturities of long-term debt for the four years following December 31, 2012 are as follows:

(In thousands)
   
 

2013

    153,369  

2014

    2,170  

2015

    250,238  

2016

    159  

        Cash payments for interest on all debt were $46.4 million, $59.9 million and $61.5 million in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

        The Company's credit facilities contain a covenant stipulating a maximum debt to capital ratio of 60%. One credit facility also contains a covenant requiring a minimum net worth of $475 million, and another limits the proportion of subsidiary consolidated indebtedness to a maximum of 10% of consolidated tangible assets. The Company's 5.75% notes and 2.7% notes include covenants that permit the note holders to redeem their notes at 101% of par in the event of a change of control of the Company or disposition of a significant portion of the Company's assets in combination with the Company's credit rating being downgraded to non-investment grade. At December 31, 2011, the Company was in compliance with these covenants.