DEBT

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

DEBT

K. DEBT

The carrying value of outstanding debt was as follows, in millions:

	At December 31,
	2023		2022
Notes and debentures:
3.500%, due November 15, 2027	$	300	$	300
1.500%, due February 15, 2028	599		599
7.750%, due August 1, 2029	235		235
2.000%, due October 1, 2030	300		300
2.000%, due February 15, 2031	597		596
6.500%, due August 15, 2032	200		200
4.500%, due May 15, 2047	416		416
3.125%, due February 15, 2051	300		300
364-day term loan, due April 26, 2023	—		200
Other	20		25
Prepaid debt issuance costs	(18)		(20)
	2,948		3,151
Less: Current portion	3		205
Total long-term debt	$	2,945	$	2,946

All of the notes and debentures above are senior indebtedness and, other than the 7.75% Notes due 2029, are redeemable at our option.

At December 31, 2023, the debt maturities during each of the next five years were as follows: 2024 – $3 million; 2025 – $3 million; 2026 – $2 million; 2027 – $302 million and 2028 – $602 million.

On April 26, 2022, we entered into a revolving credit agreement (the “2022 Credit Agreement”) with an aggregate commitment of $1.0 billion and a maturity date of April 26, 2027. Under the 2022 Credit Agreement, at our request and subject to certain conditions, we can increase the aggregate commitment up to an additional $500 million with the current lenders or new lenders.

The 2022 Credit Agreement provides for an unsecured revolving credit facility available to us and one of our foreign subsidiaries in U.S. dollars, European euros, British pounds sterling, Canadian dollars and certain other currencies for revolving credit loans, swingline loans and letters of credit. Borrowings under the revolving credit loans denominated in any agreed upon currency other than U.S. dollars are limited to the equivalent of $500 million. We can also borrow swingline loans up to $125 million and obtain letters of credit of up to $25 million. Outstanding letters of credit under the 2022 Credit Agreement reduce our borrowing capacity and we had no outstanding letters of credit under the 2022 Credit Agreement at December 31, 2023.

K. DEBT (Continued)

Revolving credit loans denominated in U.S. dollars bear interest under the 2022 Credit Agreement at our option, at (A) SOFR rate for the interest period in effect for the borrowing, plus 0.1%, plus an applicable margin based upon our then-applicable corporate credit ratings; or (B) a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (i) the U.S. prime rate, (ii) the Federal Reserve Bank of New York effective rate plus 0.50% and (iii) the adjusted term SOFR rate for a one month interest period, plus 1.0%; plus an applicable margin based upon our then-applicable corporate credit ratings. Foreign currency revolving credit loans denominated in Canadian dollars bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the greater of (i) the rate equal to the PRIMCAN Index rate and (ii) the CDOR rate for a one month interest period, plus 1.0%; plus an applicable margin based upon our then-applicable corporate credit ratings. Foreign currency revolving credit loans denominated in British pounds sterling bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the Daily Simple SONIA, plus an applicable margin based upon our then-applicable corporate credit ratings. Foreign currency revolving credit loans denominated in European euros bear interest at the adjusted EURIBOR rate, plus an applicable margin based upon our then-applicable corporate credit ratings. The various benchmarks are subject to applicable floors.

The 2022 Credit Agreement contains financial covenants requiring us to maintain (A) a net leverage ratio, as adjusted for certain items, not exceeding 4.0 to 1.0, and (B) an interest coverage ratio, as adjusted for certain items, not less than 2.5 to 1.0.

In order for us to borrow under the 2022 Credit Agreement, there must not be any default in our covenants in the 2022 Credit Agreement (i.e., in addition to the two financial covenants described above, principally limitations on subsidiary debt, negative pledge restrictions, and requirements relating to legal compliance, maintenance of our properties and insurance) and our representations and warranties in the 2022 Credit Agreement must be true in all material respects on the date of borrowing (i.e., principally no material adverse change or litigation likely to result in a material adverse change, since December 31, 2021, no material ERISA or environmental non-compliance, and no material tax deficiency). We were in compliance with all covenants and no borrowings were outstanding at December 31, 2023. 

On May 9, 2023, our Hansgrohe SE subsidiary entered into €70 million ($77 million) of short-term borrowings to support working capital needs. The loans contained no financial covenants and the entire balance was repaid as of December 31, 2023.

On April 26, 2022, we entered into a 364-day $500 million senior unsecured delayed draw term loan (the "term loan") due April 26, 2023 with a syndicate of lenders. The term loan and commitments thereunder were subject to prepayment or termination at our option and the loans bore interest at SOFR plus a spread adjustment and 0.70%. The covenants, including the financial covenants, were substantially the same as those in the 2022 Credit Agreement. We repaid $300 million during 2022 and the remaining $200 million upon the maturity of the term loan on April 26, 2023.

On March 4, 2021, we issued $600 million of 1.500% Notes due February 15, 2028, $600 million of 2.000% Notes due February 15, 2031 and $300 million of 3.125% Notes due February 15, 2051. We received proceeds of $1,495 million, net of discount, for the issuance of these Notes. The Notes are senior indebtedness and are redeemable at our option at the applicable redemption price. On March 22, 2021, proceeds from the debt issuances, together with cash on hand, were used to repay and early retire our $326 million 5.950% Notes due March 15, 2022, $500 million 4.450% Notes due April 1, 2025, and $500 million 4.375% Notes due April 1, 2026. In connection with these early retirements, we incurred a loss on debt extinguishment of $168 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, which was recorded as interest expense in the consolidated statement of operations.

Interest paid was $107 million in both 2023 and 2022 and $114 million in 2021. The 2021 amount excludes $160 million of debt extinguishment costs related to the early retirement of debt, which was recorded as interest expense and paid in 2021.

K. DEBT (Concluded)

Fair Value of Debt. The fair value of our short-term and long-term fixed-rate debt instruments is based principally upon modeled market prices for the same or similar issues, which are Level 1 inputs. The term loan had an interest rate that reset monthly and the fair value of the instrument approximated the carrying value at December 31, 2022. The aggregate estimated market value of our short-term and long-term debt at December 31, 2023 was approximately $2.6 billion, compared with the aggregate carrying value of $3.0 billion. The aggregate estimated market value of our short-term and long-term debt at December 31, 2022 was approximately $2.7 billion, compared with the aggregate carrying value of $3.2 billion.