(Bloomberg) -- A group of Essity AB bondholders, including Oaktree Capital Management and Sona Asset Management, sued the firm in UK courts, escalating a dispute over claims that an event of default occurred on its debt.
The creditors are seeking to force early repayment of the company’s bonds, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Caxton Associates, Northlight Group and Sparta Capital Management are among the other bondholders filing the claim, according to the court notice.
“The investors’ holdings represent a small portion of the outstanding bonds,” Essity said in a press release on Monday. “Essity rejects the claim that there is a right to early repayment under the terms of these bonds and considers the demand to be unfounded.”
Representatives for Sona and Sparta declined to comment on the lawsuit. Spokespeople for Oaktree, Caxton and Northlight didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The noteholders have previously told the company that they were entitled to early repayment because of the sale of its 51.6% stake in tissue maker Vinda International Holdings Ltd to Indonesian tycoon Sukanto Tanoto. The creditors said that qualified as a “cessation of business” event, triggering default provisions in the debt contracts.
Essity, a Swedish company that sells personal-care products, has over €3 billion ($3.2 billion) equivalent of outstanding notes including such a clause. The company’s debt is rated investment grade.
A group of investors in Essity’s bonds due in 2029, 2030 and 2031 has been sending letters to the company throughout the year, requesting early repayment, via its advisers at White & Case LLP and Houlihan Lokey Inc.
In a press release in October, Essity acknowledged it had received a demand for early repayment from “a few” holders of its bonds. It said the request wasn’t justified and it was confident that the stake sale didn’t qualify as an event of default.
--With assistance from Lucca de Paoli.
(Adds company response in third paragraph.)
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