Debt and Credit Agreements (Notes)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Long-Term Debt

A summary of the carrying amounts of our long-term debt is listed below.


	Effective Interest Rate		December 31,
			2020 1		2019 1
3.50% Senior Notes due 2020	3.89	%	$	—	$	498.5
3.75% Senior Notes due 2021 (less unamortized discount and issuance costs of $0.1 and $0.8, respectively)	3.98	%	499.1		497.9
4.00% Senior Notes due 2022 (less unamortized discount and issuance costs of $0.4 and $0.3, respectively)	4.13	%	249.3		248.7
3.75% Senior Notes due 2023 (less unamortized discount and issuance costs of $0.3 and $0.9, respectively)	4.32	%	498.8		498.2
4.20% Senior Notes due 2024 (less unamortized discount and issuance costs of $0.3 and $1.4, respectively)	4.24	%	498.3		497.8
4.65% Senior Notes due 2028 (less unamortized discount and issuance costs of $1.3 and $3.5, respectively)	4.78	%	495.2		494.6
4.75% Senior Notes due 2030 (less unamortized discount and issuance costs of $3.5 and $5.7, respectively)	4.92	%	640.8		—
5.40% Senior Notes due 2048 (less unamortized discount and issuance costs of $2.7 and $5.2, respectively)	5.48	%	492.1		491.9
Other notes payable and capitalized leases			44.7		46.3
Total long-term debt			3,418.3		3,273.9
Less: current portion			502.5		502.0
Long-term debt, excluding current portion			$	2,915.8	$	2,771.9

1See Note 13 for information on the fair value measurement of our long-term debt.

Annual maturities are scheduled as follows based on the book value as of December 31, 2020.


2021	$	502.5
2022	250.2
2023	498.9
2024	498.3
2025	0.0
Thereafter	1,668.4
Total long-term debt	$	3,418.3

Our 3.75% Senior Notes in aggregate principal amount of $500.0 mature on October 1, 2021. We expect to use available cash on hand as well as additional short-term borrowings as needed to fund the principal repayment. For those debt securities that have a premium or discount at the time of issuance, we amortize the amount through interest expense based on the maturity date or the first date the holders may require us to repurchase the debt securities, if applicable. A premium would result in a decrease in interest expense, and a discount would result in an increase in interest expense in future periods. Additionally, we have debt issuance costs related to certain financing transactions which are also amortized through interest expense. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, we had total unamortized debt issuance costs of $24.3 and $21.6, respectively. Our debt securities include covenants that, among other things, limit our liens and the liens of certain of our consolidated subsidiaries, but do not require us to maintain any financial ratios or specified levels of net worth or liquidity.

As of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the estimated fair value of the Company's long-term debt was $3,995.0 and $3,565.5, respectively. Refer to Note 13 for details.

Debt Transactions

3.50% Senior Notes Due 2020

Our 3.50% Senior Notes in aggregate principal amount of $500.0 matured on October 1, 2020, and we used available cash, including the proceeds from the offering of our 4.75% Senior Notes, to fund the principal repayment.

4.75% Senior Notes Due 2030

On March 30, 2020, we issued a total of $650.0 in aggregate principal amount of 4.75% senior unsecured notes (the “4.75% Senior Notes”) due March 30, 2030. Upon issuance, the 4.75% Senior Notes were reflected at $640.0, net of discount of $3.8 and net of capitalized debt issuance costs, including commissions and offering expenses of $6.2, both of which will be amortized in interest expense through the maturity date using the effective method. Interest is payable semi-annually in arrears on March 30th and September 30th of each year, commencing on September 30, 2020.

We may redeem the 4.75% Senior Notes at any time in whole, or from time to time in part, in accordance with the provisions of the indenture, including the supplemental indenture, under which the 4.75% Senior Notes were issued. Additionally, upon the occurrence of a change of control repurchase event with respect to the 4.75% Senior Notes, each holder of the 4.75% Senior Notes has the right to require the Company to purchase that holder’s 4.75% Senior Notes at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, unless the Company has exercised its option to redeem all the 4.75% Senior Notes.

Credit Arrangements

Credit Agreement

We maintain a committed corporate credit facility, originally dated as of July 18, 2008, which has been amended and restated from time to time (the "Credit Agreement"). We use our Credit Agreement to increase our financial flexibility, to provide letters of credit primarily to support obligations of our subsidiaries and to support our commercial paper program. The Credit Agreement is a revolving facility, expiring in November 2024, under which amounts borrowed by us or any of our subsidiaries designated under the Credit Agreement may be repaid and reborrowed, subject to an aggregate lending limit of $1,500.0, or the equivalent in other currencies. The Company has the ability to increase the commitments under the Credit Agreement from time to time by an additional amount of up to $250.0, provided the Company receives commitments for such increases and satisfies certain other conditions. The aggregate available amount of letters of credit outstanding may decrease or increase, subject to a sublimit on letters of credit of $50.0, or the equivalent in other currencies. Our obligations under the Credit Agreement are unsecured. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, there were no borrowings under the Credit Agreement; however, we had $9.0 and $8.4 of letters of credit under the Credit Agreement, which reduced our total availability to $1,491.0 and $1,491.6, respectively. In addition to other and customary covenants, we are required to maintain the financial covenant listed below as of the end of each fiscal quarter for the period of four fiscal quarters then ended pursuant to our Credit Agreement. We were in compliance with all of our covenants in the Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2020.

Under the Credit Agreement, we can elect to receive advances bearing interest based on either the Base Rate or the Eurocurrency rate (each as defined in the Credit Agreement) plus an applicable margin that is determined based on our credit ratings. As of December 31, 2020, the applicable margin was 0.125% for Base Rate advances and 1.125% for Eurocurrency Rate borrowings. Letter of credit fees accrue on the average daily aggregate amount of letters of credit outstanding, at a rate equal to the applicable margin for Eurocurrency rate advances, and fronting fees accrue on the aggregate amount of letters of credit outstanding at an annual rate of 0.250%. We also pay a facility fee on each lender's revolving commitment of 0.125%, which is an annual rate determined based on our credit ratings.

364-Day Credit Facility

On March 27, 2020, we entered into an agreement for a 364-day revolving credit facility (the "364-Day Credit Facility") that matures on March 26, 2021. The 364-Day Credit Facility is a revolving facility, under which amounts borrowed by us may be repaid and reborrowed, subject to an aggregate lending limit of $500.0. The cost structure of the 364-Day Credit Agreement is based on the Company’s current credit ratings. The applicable margin for Base Rate Advances (as defined in the 364-Day Credit Facility) is 0.250%, the applicable margin for Eurodollar Rate Advances (as defined in the 364-Day Credit Facility) is 1.250%, and the facility fee payable on a lender’s revolving commitment is 0.250%. In addition, the 364-Day Credit Facility includes covenants that, among other things, (i) limit our liens and the liens of our consolidated subsidiaries, and (ii) limit subsidiary debt. The 364-Day Credit Facility also contains a financial covenant that requires us to maintain, on a consolidated basis as of the end of each fiscal quarter, a leverage ratio for the four quarters then ended. The leverage ratio and other covenants set forth in the 364-Day Credit Facility are equivalent to the covenants contained in the Company’s existing Credit Agreement, which remains in full effect. As of December 31, 2020, there were no borrowings under the 364-Day Credit Facility, and we were in compliance with all of our covenants in the 364-Day Credit Facility.

The Amendments

On July 28, 2020, we entered into Amendment No. 1 to the Credit Agreement and Amendment No. 1 to the 364-Day Credit Facility (together, the “Amendments”). The Amendments increased the maximum leverage ratio covenant to 4.25x in the case of the 364-Day Credit Facility and, in the case of the Credit Agreement, to (i) 4.25x through the quarter ended June 30, 2021, and (ii) 3.50x thereafter. Amendment No.1 to the Credit Agreement also increased the Applicable Margin (as defined in the Credit Agreement) for any borrowings we make under the Credit Agreement if our long-term public debt ratings are BB+/Ba1 or below at the time of borrowing. We have the option to terminate Amendment No.1 to the Credit Agreement at any time, provided that at the time we deliver a termination notice, the leverage ratio as of the end of the most recently ended fiscal quarter did not exceed 3.50x. The Credit Agreement reverts to its original terms on June 30, 2021, or following any such early termination, whichever is earlier. We paid amendment fees of $2.0 in connection with the Amendments.

In addition to other and customary covenants, we are required to maintain the financial covenant listed below as of the end of each fiscal quarter for the period of four fiscal quarters then ended pursuant to our Credit Agreement and 364-Day Credit Facility.


						Financial Covenant
Leverage ratio (not greater than): 1, 2						4.25x

1The leverage ratio is defined as debt as of the last day of such fiscal quarter to EBITDA, as defined in the Credit Agreement, for the four quarters then ended.

2On July 28, 2020, the Amendments increased the maximum leverage ratio covenant from 3.75x to 4.25x in the case of the 364-Day Credit Facility and, in the case of the Credit Agreement, to (i) 4.25x through the quarter ended June 30, 2021, and (ii) 3.50x thereafter.

Uncommitted Lines of Credit

We also have uncommitted lines of credit with various banks that permit borrowings at variable interest rates and that are primarily used to fund working capital needs. We have guaranteed the repayment of some of these borrowings made by certain subsidiaries. If we lose access to these credit lines, we would have to provide funding directly to some of our operations. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company had uncommitted lines of credit in an aggregate amount of $857.6 and $1,056.0, under which we had outstanding borrowings of $48.0 and $52.4 classified as short-term borrowings on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, respectively. The average amounts outstanding during 2020 and 2019 were $86.5 and $88.0, respectively, with weighted-average interest rates of approximately 3.6% and 5.2%, respectively.

Commercial Paper

The Company is authorized to issue unsecured commercial paper up to a maximum aggregate amount outstanding at any time of $1,500.0. Borrowings under the commercial paper program are supported by the Credit Agreement described above. Commercial paper proceeds are used for working capital and general corporate purposes, including the repayment of maturing indebtedness and other short-term liquidity needs. Commercial paper maturities vary but may not exceed 397 days from the date of issue. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, there was no commercial paper outstanding. The average amounts outstanding under the program in 2020 and 2019 were $105.8 and $312.9 with weighted-average interest rates of approximately 1.5% and 2.5% and weighted-average maturities of twelve and thirteen days, respectively.

Cash Pooling

We aggregate our domestic cash position on a daily basis. Outside the United States, we use cash pooling arrangements with banks to help manage our liquidity requirements. In these pooling arrangements, several IPG agencies agree with a single bank that the cash balances of any of the agencies with the bank will be subject to a full right of set-off against amounts other agencies owe the bank, and the bank provides for overdrafts as long as the net balance for all agencies does not exceed an agreed-upon level. Typically, each agency pays interest on outstanding overdrafts and receives interest on cash balances. Our Consolidated Balance Sheets reflect cash, net of bank overdrafts, under all of our pooling arrangements, and as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 the amounts netted were $2,702.2 and $2,274.9, respectively.