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18 Aug 2021
NEW – LIBOR Floor Provisions: Market Trends 2020/2021
This practice note discusses LIBOR floor provisions, including current market trends in publicly filed credit agreements and commitment letters from the second half of 2020 and first half of 2021. Lenders tended to increase LIBOR floor percentages in 2020 during the height of COVID-19 in response to the dropping LIBOR benchmark rate. With a stabilizing market in 2021 and the end of LIBOR as a benchmark rate in sight, lenders have not focused on LIBOR floors in recent transactions and LIBOR floor rates have fallen back closer to the norm of 0% in the first half of 2021.
The following analysis is based on 123 publicly filed credit agreements that included a LIBOR floor from the second and third quarters of 2020 and 186 publicly filed credit agreements that included a LIBOR floor from the fourth quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021. The data analyzed in this practice note was obtained using Market Standards, the searchable database from Practical Guidance of publicly filed credit agreements and commitment letters that enables users to search, compare, and analyze over 2300 credit agreements using approximately 90 detailed deal points and over 370 commitment letters using approximately 70 deal points to filter search results. For more information on Market Standards, click here.
For more information on recent trends concerning LIBOR floors, see Interest Rate Provisions in Credit Agreements, SOFR Loan Documentation: 8 Things for Borrowers to Think About, The Client Asks: What Happens When LIBOR Ends?, and LIBOR Replacement Resource Kit.
LIBOR Floor Provisions
Countries sometimes attempt to stimulate their economies by reducing benchmark interest rates, including LIBOR. Benchmark rates have at times been reduced to zero or even been negative. Due to the potential for benchmark rates to be reduced, lenders often include a benchmark floor in their credit agreements, which commonly was 0% prior to COVID-19.
During the height of COVID-19 in the second and third quarters of 2020, the U.S. Federal Reserve lowered benchmark rates to near zero. Many lenders began to counteract such decline in benchmark rates by increasing the LIBOR floor in their transactions to percentages greater than zero, typically in the range of 0.5% to 1.25%. Due to optimism that the economy is recovering and as the LIBOR cessation date is approaching at the end of 2021, banks have become less focused on increasing LIBOR floors. In the last quarter of 2020 and into 2021, the number of transactions with a LIBOR floor above 0% has steadily declined.
Out of 123 credit agreements surveyed from the second and third quarters of 2020 that included LIBOR floors, 64 deals (52%) included a LIBOR floor greater than 0%, and 59 deals (48%) included a 0% LIBOR floor.
Visualization of LIBOR Floors Q2 2020 and Q3 2020
Source: Market Standards, date range 4/1/2020 to 9/30/2020
Of those 64 deals with a LIBOR floor greater than 0%, 57 deals had a LIBOR floor between 0.1% and 1%. Seven deals had a LIBOR floor greater than 1% ranging from 1.5% to 2%.
Out of 186 credit agreements surveyed from the fourth quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021 that included a LIBOR floor, 50 (27%) deals included a LIBOR floor greater than 0% ranging from 0.25% to 1%. The remaining 136 (73%) deals had a LIBOR floor of 0%.
Visualization of LIBOR Floors Q4 2020 and Q1 2021
Source: Market Standards, date range 10/1/2020 to 3/31/2021
Examples of Publicly Filed Credit Agreements in Lexis Market Standards
Camping World Holdings, Inc.
Agreement Date |
June 3, 2021 |
Agreement |
Credit Agreement |
Company |
CWGS Group, LLC |
Administrative Agent |
Goldman Sachs Bank USA |
Facility Size/Type |
$1.1 billion initial term loan commitment |
Industry |
Retail—Auto Dealers and Gasoline Stations |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
|
Stitch Fix, Inc.
Agreement Date |
June 2, 2021 |
Agreement |
Amended and Restated Credit Agreement |
Company |
Stitch Fix, Inc. |
Administrative Agent |
Silicon Valley Bank |
Facility Size/Type |
$100 million revolving commitment |
Industry |
Retail—Catalog and Mail-Order |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
Eurodollar base rate shall not be less than 0% |
MSA Safety Inc.
Agreement Date |
May 24, 2021 |
Agreement |
Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement |
Company |
MSA Safety Incorporated, et al. |
Administrative Agent |
PNC Bank, National Association |
Facility Size/Type |
$900 million revolving credit facility |
Industry |
Orthopedic, Prosthetic and Surgical Appliances, and Supplies |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
Benchmark rate floor applicable to the LIBOR rate, if not otherwise specified, is 0% |
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
Agreement Date |
April 13, 2021 |
Agreement |
Revolving Credit Agreement |
Company |
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. |
Administrative Agent |
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. |
Facility Size/Type |
$500 million revolving commitment |
Industry |
Retail—Eating Places |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
If the LIBO Screen Rate is less than 0%, then such rate shall be deemed to be 0% for purposes of the credit agreement |
Petiq, LLC
Agreement Date |
April 13, 2021 |
Agreement |
Term Credit and Guaranty Agreement |
Company |
Petiq, LLC |
Administrative Agent |
Jefferies Finance LLC |
Facility Size/Type |
$500 million revolving commitment |
Industry |
Wholesale—Drugs, Drug Proprietaries, and Druggists' Sundries |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
Adjusted Eurodollar rate shall at no time be less than 0.50% |
American Electric Power Company, Inc.
Agreement Date |
March 31, 2021 |
Agreement |
Credit Agreement |
Company |
American Electric Power Company, Inc. |
Administrative Agent |
Wells Fargo Bank, National Association |
Facility Size/Type |
$1 billion revolving commitment |
Industry |
Electric Services |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
If the Eurodollar rate is less than 0%, it shall be deemed to be 0% for purposes of the credit agreement |
Community Healthcare Trust Inc.
Agreement Date |
March 19, 2021 |
Agreement |
Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement |
Company |
Community Healthcare Trust Incorporated |
Administrative Agent |
Truist Bank |
Facility Size/Type |
$400 million revolving and term commitments |
Industry |
Real Estate Investment Trusts |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
Eurodollar Rate:
Base Rate:
|
LIBOR Floor |
If the LIBOR rate is less than 0%, such rate is deemed to be 0% |
Brightsphere Investment Group Inc.
Agreement Date |
February 23, 2021 |
Agreement |
Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Agreement |
Company |
Acadian Asset Management LLC, as assignee of Brightsphere Investment Group Inc. |
Administrative Agent |
Citibank, N.A. |
Facility Size/Type |
$125 million revolving commitment |
Industry |
Investment Advice |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
If the LIBO Screen Rate is less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to be 0% for purposes of the credit agreement |
PPG Industries, Inc.
Agreement Date |
February 19, 2021 |
Agreement |
Term Loan Credit Agreement |
Company |
PPG Industries, Inc. |
Administrative Agent |
PNB Paribas |
Facility Size/Type |
$2 billion term loan commitment |
Industry |
Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels, and Allied Products |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
If the LIBO rate is less than 0%, such rate shall be deemed to be 0% for purposes of the credit agreement |
Credit Acceptance Corp.
Agreement Date |
January 29, 2021 |
Agreement |
Loan and Security Agreement |
Company |
Credit Acceptance Funding LLC 2021-1 |
Administrative Agent |
Fifth Third Bank |
Facility Size/Type |
$100 million term commitment |
Industry |
Personal Credit Institutions |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
In the event that the LIBOR rate is less than 0%, such rate shall be deemed to be 0% for purposes of the credit agreement |
Express, LLC
Agreement Date |
January 13, 2021 |
Agreement |
Asset-Based Term Loan Agreement |
Company |
Express, LLC |
Administrative Agent |
Wells Fargo Bank, National Association |
Facility Size/Type |
$90 million term loan commitment |
Industry |
Retail—Apparel & Accessory Stores |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
If at any time the published LIBO rate is below 0%, then the LIBO rate determined for the credit agreement shall be deemed to be 0% |
AssetMark Financial Holdings, Inc.
Agreement Date |
December 30, 2020 |
Agreement |
Credit Agreement |
Company |
AssetMark Financial Holdings, Inc. |
Administrative Agent |
Bank of Montreal |
Facility Size/Type |
$250 million revolving commitment |
Industry |
Investment Advice |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
If LIBOR as determined is less than 0%, LIBOR will be deemed to be 0% for purposes of the credit agreement |
Matrix Service Company
Agreement Date |
November 2, 2020 |
Agreement |
Fifth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement |
Company |
Matrix Service Company |
Administrative Agent |
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. |
Facility Size/Type |
$200 million revolving commitment |
Industry |
Construction—Special Trade Contractors |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
If any screen rate (including the LIBO rate) is less than 0%, such rate shall be deemed to be 0% for purposes of the credit agreement |
DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc.
Agreement Date |
October 1, 2020 |
Agreement |
Amendment and Restatement Agreement |
Company |
DoubleVerify Inc. |
Administrative Agent |
Capital One, N.A. |
Facility Size/Type |
$150 million revolving commitment |
Industry |
Services—Computer Programming |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
Eurodollar base rate shall not be deemed to be less than 0.75% |
Purple Innovation, LLC
Agreement Date |
September 3, 2020 |
Agreement |
Credit Agreement |
Company |
Purple Innovation, LLC |
Administrative Agent |
KeyBank National Association |
Facility Size/Type |
$55 million revolving commitment |
Industry |
Household Furniture |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
|
Pyxus International, Inc.
Agreement Date |
August 24, 2020 |
Agreement |
Exit Term Loan Credit Agreement |
Company |
Pyxus Holdings, Inc.; Pyxus International, Inc.; Pyxus Parent, Inc. |
Administrative Agent |
Alter Domus (US) LLC |
Facility Size/Type |
$213.42 million term commitment |
Industry |
Wholesale—Farm Product |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
In no event shall the LIBO rate be less than 1.5% |
Doordash, Inc.
Agreement Date |
August 7, 2020 |
Agreement |
Amended and Restated Agreement |
Company |
Doordash, Inc. |
Administrative Agent |
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. |
Facility Size/Type |
$300 million original revolving commitment |
Industry |
Services—Business Services, Not Elsewhere Classified |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
If the LIBO Screen Rate as determined is less than 0%, the Screen Rate shall for all purposes of the credit agreement be 0% |
Waste Management, Inc.
Agreement Date |
July 28, 2020 |
Agreement |
Credit Agreement |
Company |
Waste Management, Inc. |
Administrative Agent |
Mizuho Bank, Ltd. |
Facility Size/Type |
$3 billion revolving commitment |
Industry |
Refuse Systems |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
If the Eurocurrency rate is less than 0%, then such rate shall be deemed 0% for purposes of the credit agreement |
Axogen, Inc.
Agreement Date |
June 30, 2020 |
Agreement |
Term Loan Agreement |
Company |
Axogen, Inc. |
Administrative Agent |
Argo SA LLC |
Facility Size/Type |
$75 million term loan commitment |
Industry |
Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
7.5% for LIBOR rate loans |
LIBOR Floor |
LIBOR floor is 2.0% |
Carnival Corporation
Agreement Date |
June 30, 2020 |
Agreement |
Term Loan Agreement |
Company |
Carnival Corporation |
Administrative Agent |
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. |
Facility Size/Type |
$1.86 billion term loan facility |
Industry |
Water Transportation |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
If the LIBO Screen Rate is less than 0%, then such rate shall be deemed to be 0% for purposes of the credit agreement |
Examples of Publicly Filed Commitment Letters in Lexis Market Standards
Oasis Petroleum Inc.
Commitment Date |
May 3, 2021 |
Agreement |
Commitment Letter |
Company |
Oasis Petroleum Inc. |
Administrative Agent |
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. |
Facility Size/Type |
$500 million bridge commitment |
Industry |
Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
6.50% increasing by 0.50% at the end of each three month period after closing for Eurodollar rate loans |
LIBOR Floor |
If the LIBO Screen Rate is less than 1.0%, such rate shall be deemed to be 1.0% for purposes of calculating such rate |
Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
Commitment Date |
April 22, 2021 |
Agreement |
Project Mansfield US$2,500,000,000 Bridge Facility Commitment Letter |
Company |
Skyworks Solutions, Inc. |
Administrative Agent |
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. |
Facility Size/Type |
$2.5 billion bridge facility commitment |
Industry |
Semiconductors and Related Devices |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
If the LIBO Screen Rate is less than 0%, such rate shall be deemed to be 0% |
Synnex Corporation
Commitment Date |
March 22, 2021 |
Agreement |
Project Spire Bridge Commitment Letter |
Company |
Synnex Corporation |
Administrative Agent |
Citibank, N.A.; Citicorp USA, Inc.; Citicorp North America, Inc.; Citigroup Global Markets Inc. |
Facility Size/Type |
$1.5 billion senior unsecured term bridge facility commitment |
Industry |
Wholesale—Computers, Peripherals, and Software |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
Adjusted LIBOR is the greater of 0% and LIBOR as determined |
Perspecta Inc.
Commitment Date |
February 18, 2021 |
Agreement |
Project Jagman Amended and Restated Commitment Letter |
Company |
Peraton Corp.; Peraton Inc. |
Administrative Agent |
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.; Alter Domus (US) LLC |
Facility Size/Type |
$3,775,000 senior secured incremental term loan facility commitment |
Industry |
Services—Computer Processing and Data Preparation and Processing |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
LIBOR for purposes of calculating interest on any loan under the second lien term facility shall be deemed to be not less than 0.75% |
Vielo Bio, Inc.
Commitment Date |
January 31, 2021 |
Agreement |
Project Venus Commitment Letter |
Company |
Horizon Therapeutics USA Inc. |
Administrative Agent |
Citibank, N.A. |
Facility Size/Type |
$1.3 billion incremental term loan commitment |
Industry |
Pharmaceutical Preparations |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
In no event shall the LIBO rate applicable to the term loan facility be less than 0.50% |
Seacor Holdings Inc.
Commitment Date |
December 4, 2020 |
Agreement |
Project Safari Commitment Letter |
Company |
Safari Parent, Inc. |
Administrative Agent |
HPS Investment Partners, LLC |
Facility Size/Type |
$395.60 million first lien term loan facility commitment |
Industry |
Deep Sea Foreign Transportation of Freight Establishments |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
○ Ranges from 2.00% to 2.50% for Eurodollar loans excluding supplemental amount and from 4.00% to 4.50% for supplemental amount, depending on average excess availability ○ Ranges from 1.00% to 1.50% for ABR loans excluding supplemental amount and from 3.00% to 3.50% for supplemental amount, depending on average excess availability |
LIBOR Floor |
Adjusted LIBOR in no event shall be less than 1.0% |
Tuesday Morning Corp.
Commitment Date |
November 2, 2020 |
Agreement |
Commitment Letter |
Company |
Tuesday Morning, Inc. |
Administrative Agent |
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. |
Facility Size/Type |
$110 million senior secured revolving credit facility commitment |
Industry |
Retail—Variety Stores |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
The adjusted LIBO rate shall have a floor of 0.50% at all times |
Modivcare Inc.
Commitment Date |
September 28, 2020 |
Agreement |
Commitment Letter |
Company |
The Providence Service Corporation |
Administrative Agent |
Jefferies Finance LLC |
Facility Size/Type |
$30 million senior secured first lien revolving facility commitment |
Industry |
Transportation Services |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
Three-month LIBOR shall in no event be less than 1.0% |
Roper Technologies, Inc.
Commitment Date |
August 12, 2020 |
Agreement |
Bridge Facility Commitment Letter |
Company |
Roper Technologies, Inc. |
Administrative Agent |
Bank of America, N.A. |
Facility Size/Type |
$4 billion 364-day senior unsecured bridge facility commitment |
Industry |
Industrial Instruments |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
If the LIBOR rate (or the base rate) is less than 0%, such rate shall be deemed 0% for purposes of the bridge facility |
California Resources Corporation
Commitment Date |
July 15, 2020 |
Agreement |
Senior Secured Superpriority Debtor-In-Possession Revolving Credit Facility Commitment Letter |
Company |
California Resources Corporation |
Administrative Agent |
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. |
Facility Size/Type |
$483,010,655.62 senior secured superpriority debtor-in-possession revolving credit facility commitment |
Industry |
Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas |
Applicable Interest Rate Margin |
|
LIBOR Floor |
1.00% LIBOR floor |
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