Financing Activities

6 Months Ended

Jul. 30, 2011

Financing Activities

Financing Activities

4. Financing Activities

During the 26 weeks ended July 30, 2011, the Company repaid $330 million of indebtedness at maturity.

The rate of interest payable in respect of $612 million in aggregate principal amount of the Company's senior notes outstanding at July 30, 2011 decreased by .25 percent per annum to 8.125% effective in May 2011 as a result of an upgrade of the notes by specified rating agencies. The rate of interest payable in respect of these senior notes outstanding could subsequently increase by up to 1.75 percent per annum or decrease by .25 percent per annum from its current level in the event of one or more downgrades or upgrades of the notes by specified rating agencies.

During the 26 weeks ended July 31, 2010, the Company repaid $76 million of indebtedness at maturity and consistent with its strategy to reduce indebtedness, the Company used approximately $526 million of cash to repurchase approximately $500 million of indebtedness prior to maturity. In connection with these repurchases, the Company recognized additional interest expense of approximately $27 million due to the expenses associated with the early retirement of this debt.

The following table shows the detail of debt repayments:

	26 Weeks Ended
	July 30, 2011		July 31, 2010
	(millions)
8.5% Senior notes due 2010	$	0	$	76
6.625% Senior notes due 2011		330		57
7.45% Senior debentures due 2011		0		9
5.35% Senior notes due 2012		0		425
8.0% Senior debentures due 2012		0		9
9.5% amortizing debentures due 2021		2		2
9.75% amortizing debentures due 2021		1		1
Capital leases and other obligations		4		5
	$	337	$	584

The Company entered into a credit agreement with certain financial institutions on June 20, 2011 providing for revolving credit borrowings and letters of credit in an aggregate amount not to exceed $1,500 million (which may be increased to $1,750 million at the option of the Company, subject to the willingness of existing or new lenders to provide commitments for such additional financing) outstanding at any particular time. This agreement is set to expire June 20, 2015 and replaces a $2,000 million facility which was set to expire August 30, 2012. As of and during the 26 weeks ended July 30, 2011, the Company had no borrowings outstanding under its credit agreements. As of the date of this report, the Company does not expect to borrow under its credit agreement during fiscal 2011.

Subsequent to the end of the second quarter of 2011, the Company resumed purchasing shares of its common stock pursuant to existing stock purchase authorizations and, through September 5, 2011, had repurchased 1,361,000 shares at an approximate cost of $35 million. After giving effect to these purchases, approximately $817 million of authorization remained unused. The Company may continue, discontinue and resume purchases of shares of its common stock at any time and from time to time depending on actual and anticipated sources and uses of liquidity, conditions in the capital markets and other factors.