DGAP-News: KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA: KWS issues promissory note loans in the amount of EUR 400 million

Einbeck (Germany), 27 August 2019

KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA successfully issued promissory note loans ("Schuldscheindarlehen") with a total volume of EUR 400 million. In view of the huge demand and the resulting oversubscription, the originally targeted volume was significantly exceeded.

The proceeds from the promissory notes serve both for general corporate financing and for the refinancing of the acquisition of the vegetable seed producer Pop Vriend Seeds, which was completed on 1 July 2019.

The volume is divided into fixed and variable tranches with maturities of five, seven and ten years. The average interest over all tranches is around 0.60% p.a. More than 100 investors participated in the promissory notes.

"We are pleased with the great interest of many investors, which we regard as a vote of confidence in our company," said Eva Kienle, CFO of KWS. "This successful financing supports the continuation of our profitable growth strategy and secures us favorable long-term interest rates."

The placement was accompanied by Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, and Landesbank Baden-Württemberg.

About KWS*
KWS is one of the world's leading plant breeding companies. In the fiscal year 2017/18 more than 5,000 employees in 70 countries generated net sales of EUR 1,068 million and earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of EUR 133 million. A company with a tradition of family ownership, KWS has operated independently for more than 160 years. It focuses on plant breeding and the production and sale of seed for corn, sugarbeet, cereals, rapeseed and sunflowers. KWS uses leading-edge plant breeding methods to increase farmers' yields and to improve resistance to diseases, pests and abiotic stress. To that end, the company invested approximately EUR 200 million last fiscal year in research and development.
^* All indications excluding the results from the companies accounted for using the equity method AGRELIANT GENETICS LLC., AGRELIANT GENETICS INC. and KENFENG - KWS SEEDS CO., LTD.

For more information: www.kws.com. Follow us on Twitter(R) at https://twitter.com/KWS_Group.