Re Agreement
GM Reaches Agreement to Sell Controlling Stake in GMAC
Cerberus Led Consortium To Buy 51 Percent Of GMAC Equity
GM To Receive $14 Billion In Cash Over Three-Year Period
DETROIT, April 3 -- General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) today announced it has
entered into a definitive agreement to sell a 51-percent controlling interest
in General Motors Acceptance Corp. (GMAC) to a consortium of investors led by
Cerberus Capital Management, L.P., a private investment firm, and including
Citigroup Inc., and Aozora Bank Ltd. GM expects to receive approximately $14
billion in cash from this transaction over three years, including
distributions from GMAC, with an estimated $10 billion by closing.
The transaction strengthens GMAC's ability to support GM's automotive
operations, improves GMAC's access to cost-effective funding, provides
significant liquidity to GM and allows GM to continue to participate in the
profitability of GMAC over the long term through its 49-percent ownership
stake.
"We look forward to working with Cerberus to maintain and grow GMAC's
traditional strong performance and contribution to the GM family," said GM
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner. "This agreement is another
important milestone in the turnaround of General Motors. It creates a
stronger GMAC while preserving the mutually beneficial relationship between GM
and GMAC. At the same time, it provides significant liquidity to support our
North American turnaround plan, finance future GM growth initiatives,
strengthen our balance sheet and fund other corporate priorities.
"Over the last nine months we have been aggressively implementing our
North American turnaround plan," Wagoner said. "We've made some big moves,
such as the health-care agreement with the United Auto Workers union; the
manufacturing capacity plan; changes to our salaried health-care and pension
plans; an accelerated attrition plan for hourly employees; and a complete
overhaul of our marketing strategy. These bold initiatives are designed to
immediately improve our competitiveness and position GM for long-term success
and today's transition is a further step in that direction."
The GM Board of Directors approved the sale in a special meeting on Sunday
which followed extensive consideration of this transaction and alternative
strategies over the past several months. Speaking for the GM Board, Presiding
Director George Fisher stated, "This transaction along with the other progress
GM has been making on its turnaround plan, is an important milestone. While
there is still much work to be done, the GM Board has great confidence in Rick
Wagoner, his management team and the plan they are implementing to restore the
company to profitability."
The transaction is subject to a number of U.S. and international
regulatory and other approvals. The companies expect to close the transaction
in the fourth quarter of 2006.
Long-Term Relationship
"We are very proud to align ourselves with an American icon like GM
through GMAC, one of the most recognized and respected names in the financial
services industry," said Mark Neporent, Cerberus' chief operating officer and
senior managing director. "We are committed to a long-term partnership that
we expect will bring sustained growth, diversity of product offerings and
lasting benefits to GM and GMAC employees, dealers, suppliers, customers and
other stakeholders."
"We are committed to helping GMAC compete even more effectively and
continuing its tradition of strong growth and success," added Lenard Tessler,
Cerberus' head of Private Equity and senior managing director. "We recognize
that GM's dealers are a cornerstone for growth in this business, and we are
committed to maintaining the strong support that GMAC provides to its dealer
customers. Moreover, we have great confidence and respect for the people of
GMAC, and look forward to the continued success of the GMAC automotive
financing, mortgage and insurance, banking, and real estate services
businesses around the globe."
GMAC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Eric Feldstein, who will
continue to lead the company after the equity sale, said, "This transaction
begins an exciting new chapter for GMAC that will allow us to realize our
strategic vision of becoming a premier global financial services company.
With improved access to cost-effective funding, we will be able to provide
more competitive financing to promote GM vehicle sales and to re-establish our
historic trend of profitable growth across all our business sectors. GMAC is
now poised to move from a defensive game plan to playing offense again, which
should enable us to deliver tremendous value to our shareholders."
As part of the transaction, GM and GMAC will enter into a number of
10-year agreements under which GMAC will continue to support GM's automotive
operations and provide GM and its dealers and customers with the same broad
range of financial products and services it does today. Customers and dealers
should continue to expect the world-class service that GMAC currently
provides, and GMAC will continue to be the preferred and exclusive provider of
various financial products involving GM-sponsored consumer and wholesale
marketing incentives around the world. Additionally, employment levels are
not expected to change as a result of this transaction. Under the agreements,
GM will have an option to acquire GMAC's global automotive finance operations,
under certain conditions, including an investment-grade rating at GM. This
option is exercisable for 10 years after the closing of the transaction.
GM to Receive $14 Billion in Cash
The $14 billion in cash that GM is to receive as part of the transaction
includes $7.4 billion from the Cerberus-led consortium at closing and an
estimated $2.7 billion cash distribution from GMAC related to the conversion
of most of GMAC and its U.S. subsidiaries to limited liability companies. In
addition, GM will retain about $20 billion of GMAC automotive lease and retail
assets and associated funding with an estimated net book value of $4 billion
that will monetize over three years.
GM also will receive dividends from GMAC equivalent to its earnings prior
to closing, which largely will be used to fund the repayment of various
intercompany loans from GMAC. As a result of these reductions, GMAC's
unsecured exposure to GM is expected to be reduced to approximately $400
million and will be capped at $1.5 billion on an ongoing basis.
GM and the consortium will invest $1.9 billion of cash in new GMAC
preferred equity -- $1.4 billion to be issued to GM and $500 million to the
Cerberus consortium. GM also will continue to receive its 49 percent share of
common dividends and other value generated by GMAC.
GM will take a non-cash pre-tax charge to earnings of approximately $1.1
billion to $1.3 billion in the second quarter of 2006 associated with the sale
of 51 percent of GMAC.
Citigroup Providing $25 Billion Syndicated Funding Facility
Citigroup will arrange two syndicated asset-based funding facilities that
total $25 billion which will support GMAC's ongoing business and enhance
GMAC's already strong liquidity position. Citigroup has committed $12.5
billion in the aggregate to these two facilities. The funding facilities are
in addition to Citigroup's initial equity investment in GMAC.
"Citigroup has a 90-year relationship with GM and this transaction
represents both an opportunity to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to its
long-term success as well as an attractive investment opportunity. We are
pleased to be part of this unique and strong partnership, led by Cerberus,"
said Michael Klein, chief executive officer of the Global Banking Unit of
Citigroup Corporate and Investment Banking.
The GMAC board of directors will have 13 members -- six appointed by the
consortium; four appointed by GM; and three independent members. GMAC will
continue to be managed by its existing executive management.
GM expects that the introduction of a new controlling investor for GMAC,
new equity capital at GMAC, and significantly reduced inter-company exposures
to GM will provide GMAC with a solid foundation to improve its current credit
rating. GM and GMAC expect that these actions will de-link the GMAC credit
ratings from those of GM.
About GM
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been
the global industry sales leader for 75 years. Founded in 1908, GM today
employs about 327,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in
Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2005, 9.17
million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands:
Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac,
Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. More information on GM can be found at
http://www.gm.com .
About Cerberus
Established in 1992, Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. is one of the
world's leading private investment firms with $18 billion in assets under
management for individual and institutional investors, including state and
corporate pension funds, insurance companies, foundations and endowments.
Through its team of more than 275 investment and operations professionals,
Cerberus specializes in providing both financial resources and operational
expertise to help transform undervalued companies into industry leaders for
long-term success and value creation. Cerberus is headquartered in New York
City, with offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Amsterdam, Frankfurt,
Tokyo, Osaka and Taipei. More information on Cerberus can be found at
http://www.cerberuscapital.com .
About GMAC
General Motors Acceptance Corporation and its subsidiaries, operating
under the umbrella GMAC Financial Services, provide automotive financing,
commercial finance, insurance and mortgage products, banking, and real estate
services, and have a presence in more than 40 nations. GMAC has extended more
than $1.4 trillion in credit to finance more than 162 million vehicles.
About Citigroup
Citigroup, the leading global financial services company, has some 200
million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries,
providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad
range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and
credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth
management. Major brand names under Citigroup's trademark red umbrella
include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Smith Barney and Banamex.
Additional information may be found at http://www.citigroup.com .
About Aozora Bank
Aozora Bank Limited is a leading provider of lending, securitization,
business and asset revitalization, asset management, loan syndication and
investment advisory services and products to financial institution, and
corporate and retail customers. Originally established in 1957 as the Nippon
Fudosan Bank, Ltd., the bank changed its name in 2001. In 2003, it became
majority owned by Cerberus NCB Acquisition, LP.
Forward-Looking Statements
In this report and in related comments by management of GM, our use of the
words "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "forecast," "initiative,"
"objective," "plan," "goal," "project," "outlook," "priorities," "target,"
"intend," "evaluate," "pursue," "seek," "may," "would," "could," "should,"
"believe," "potential," "continue," "designed," "impact," or the negative of
any of those words or similar expressions is intended to identify forward-
looking statements. While these statements represent our current judgment on
what the future may hold, and we believe these judgments are reasonable when
made, these statements are not guarantees of any events or financial results,
and GM's actual results may differ materially due to numerous important
factors that may be revised or supplemented in subsequent reports on SEC Forms
10-Q and 8-K. Such factors include, among others, the following:
-- The ability of GM to realize production efficiencies, to achieve
reductions in costs as a result of the turnaround restructuring and health
care cost reductions and to implement capital expenditures at levels and times
planned by management;
-- Receipt of regulatory approvals needed to complete the Acquisition;
-- The pace of product introductions;
-- Market acceptance of GM's new products;
-- Significant changes in the competitive environment and the effect of
competition in the Corporation's markets, including on GM's pricing policies;
-- Our ability to maintain adequate liquidity and financing sources and
an appropriate level of debt;
-- Restrictions on GMAC's and ResCap's ability to pay dividends and
prepay subordinated debt obligations to us;
-- Changes in the existing, or the adoption of new, laws, regulations,
policies or other activities of governments, agencies and similar
organizations where such actions may affect the production, licensing,
distribution or sale of our products, the cost thereof or applicable tax
rates;
-- Costs and risks associated with litigation;
-- The final results of investigations and inquiries by the SEC;
-- Changes in our accounting principles, or their application or
interpretation, and our ability to make estimates and the assumptions
underlying the estimates, including the range of estimates for the Delphi
pension benefit guarantees, which could result in an impact on earnings;
-- Changes in relations with unions and employees/retirees and the legal
interpretations of the agreements with those unions with regard to
employees/retirees;
-- Negotiations and bankruptcy court actions with respect to Delphi's
obligations to GM, negotiations with respect to GM's obligations under the
pension benefit guarantees to Delphi employees, and GM's ability to recover
any indemnity claims against Delphi;
-- Labor strikes or work stoppages at GM or its key suppliers such as
Delphi or financial difficulties at GM's key suppliers such as Delphi;
-- Additional credit rating downgrades and the effects thereof;
-- The effect of a potential sale or other extraordinary transaction
involving GMAC on the results of GM's and GMAC's operations and liquidity;
-- Other factors affecting financing and insurance operating segments'
results of operations and financial condition such as credit ratings, adequate
access to the market, changes in the residual value of off-lease vehicles,
changes in U.S. government-sponsored mortgage programs or disruptions in the
markets in which our mortgage subsidiaries operate, and changes in our
contractual servicing rights;
-- Shortages of and price increases for fuel; and
-- Changes in economic conditions, commodity prices, currency exchange
rates or political stability in the markets in which we operate.
In addition, GMAC's actual results may differ materially due to numerous
important factors that are described in GMAC's most recent report on SEC Form
10-K, which may be revised or supplemented in subsequent reports on SEC Forms
10-Q and 8-K. Such factors include, among others, the following:
-- The ability of GM to complete a transaction regarding a controlling
interest in GMAC while maintaining a significant stake in GMAC, securing
separate credit ratings and low cost funding to sustain growth for GMAC and
ResCap, and maintaining the mutually beneficial relationship between GMAC and
GM;
-- Significant changes in the competitive environment and the effect of
competition in the Corporation's markets, including on the Corporation's
pricing policies;
-- Our ability to maintain adequate financing sources;
-- Our ability to maintain an appropriate level of debt;
-- The profitability and financial condition of GM, including changes in
production or sales of GM vehicles, risks based on GM's contingent benefit
guarantees and the possibility of labor strikes or work stoppages at GM or at
key suppliers such as Delphi;
-- Funding obligations under GM and its subsidiaries' qualified U.S.
defined benefits pension plans;
-- Restrictions on ResCap's ability to pay dividends and prepay
subordinated debt obligations to us;
-- Changes in the residual value of off-lease vehicles;
-- Changes in U.S. government-sponsored mortgage programs or disruptions
in the markets in which our mortgage subsidiaries operate;
-- Changes in our contractual servicing rights;
-- Costs and risks associated with litigation;
-- Changes in our accounting assumptions that may require or that result
from changes in the accounting rules or their application, which could result
in an impact on earnings;
-- Changes in the credit ratings of GMAC or GM;
-- The threat of natural calamities;
-- Changes in economic conditions, currency exchange rates or political
stability in the markets in which we operate; and
-- Changes in the existing, or the adoption of new, laws, regulations,
policies or other activities of governments, agencies and similar
organizations.
Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements. GM undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise
revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or other such factors that affect the subject of these
statements, except where expressly required by law.
SOURCE General Motors Corporation
-0- 04/03/2006 P
/NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional media information visit http://media.gm.com ./
/CONTACT: Toni Simonetti of General Motors, +1-212-418-6380, or mobile,
+1-917-822-3392, toni.simonetti@gm.com , Jerry Dubrowski of General Motors,
+1-212-418-6261, or mobile, +1-917-544-4885, jerry.dubrowski@gm.com ; Joanne
Krell of GMAC Financial Services, +1-313-665-2443, or mobile, +1-313-378-9271,
joanne.k.krell@gm.com ; For Cerberus: Peter Duda of Weber Shandwick,
+1-917-822-1553, pduda@webershandwick.com , J.J. Rissi of Weber Shandwick,
+1-917-587-7090, jjrissi@webershandwick.com /
/Web site: http://media.gm.com
http://www.gm.com
http://www.cerberuscapital.com /
(GM)