Carl Icahn is getting breathing room from banks more than two months after Hindenburg Research disclosed its short-selling report against the billionaire’s investment firm, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Icahn finalized amended agreements with banks on Sunday that untie his personal loans from the trading price of his company’s shares, increase his collateral and set up a plan to fully repay the borrowings in three years, the newspaper said, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter.
Icahn, 87, has borrowed billions against his shares in Icahn Enterprises LP, raising the prospect of a margin call if the price keeps sinking. The stock has dropped about 43% since Hindenburg disclosed its short call against his investment firm.
About 60% of Icahn’s shares in IEP were pledged as collateral for personal loans, prompting his lenders to privately urge him to pledge more collateral as the stock declined, the Journal said.
Icahn Enterprises shares rose as much as 4.6% in premarket trading on Monday.
Icahn has $3.7 billion in loans and hasn’t liquidated investments to meet margin calls, the newspaper said. Instead, he agreed to supply extra collateral, it said.
Icahn also agreed to a repayment plan under which he will pay the banks $500 million in September, eight quarterly payments of $87.5 million starting a year after that and the remaining $2.5 billion three years from now, the Journal reported.
--With assistance from Subrat Patnaik.
(Adds premarket trading in fifth paragraph.)
