Awards for Excellence 2020
In November 2019, AbbVie priced a $30 billion, 10-tranche bond that was the fourth-largest corporate bond ever. The trade, which backed AbbVie’s acquisition of Allergan, wrapped up an extraordinary financing package by Morgan Stanley.
In a year of startling success, it is just the most striking reason why the firm is North America’s best bank for financing.
The AbbVie bond priced just eight days before the formal completion of another mega-deal, the $74 billion acquisition of Celgene by Bristol-Myers Squibb, the biggest M&A deal ever in the healthcare sector.
Morgan Stanley, as Celgene’s adviser, had put together an equally remarkable package that started back in January with a $33.5 billion bridge loan with joint venture partner MUFG, the biggest-ever single commitment on a deal. That came alongside the syndication of an $8 billion term loan and the refinancing of an existing $2 billion revolver.
The take-out came in May 2019 and comprised a $19 billion, nine-tranche bond alongside an exchange offer for nearly $20 billion of Celgene bonds.