SEC Company Response from Thomas Equipment, Inc. (CIK 0001122380) — Nov 21, 2005
Thomas Equipment, Inc. (CIK 0001122380)
Date: Nov. 21, 2005 · CIK: 0001122380 · Accession: 0001144204-05-037113
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
File numbers found in text: 333-124217
Referenced dates: November 17, 2005
Show Raw Text
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>CORRESP
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>filename1.txt
<TEXT>
Thomas Equipment, Inc.
Amendment # 5 to Registration Statement on Form S-1
File No. 333-124217
Responses to SEC Comment Letter dated November 17, 2005
Upon your review of the below response, we would appreciate a phone conference
to discuss any concerns, questions, or comments you may have and to clarify any
unresolved issues. This will allow us the opportunity to better respond and to
do so in an expedient manner.
Form S-l Amendment 4 filed October 3, 2005
General
1. We note that you have entered into an agreement with Laurus Master Fund
Ltd ("Laurus") on October 28, 2005 that provides for certain modifications
of your existing arrangements. In your response to us dated November 4,
2005 you highlighted the significant terms that have been modified. In
light of the modifications, please provide to us your analysis under the
guidance in EITF 96-19 as to whether these changes to your debt were a
modification or an extinguishment of debt and creation of new debt. In
addition, tell us how you will account for the payment of $600,000 that
was paid by you in full consideration for all amounts due or which might
otherwise have become due under the registration rights agreement.
Response
From October 28, 2005 until the due date of the Laurus debt on November 9,
2007, the penalties under the Registration Rights Agreement would have
aggregated approximately $10,600,000, (2% of $22,000,000 for two years)
compared with the $600,000 fee paid. The face amount of the debt and the
interest rate is unchanged (except for the elimination of the interest
rate reset feature). In accordance with EITF 96-19, as the present value
of the cash flows under the new terms is clearly at least 10% different
from the present value of the remaining cash flows, including the
penalties, under the old terms, the modification of our debt agreements
with Laurus will be accounted for as an extinguishment. The $600,000 fee
paid will be included in the determination of the gain or loss on
extinguishment (so that, as disclosed in our quarterly report on Form 10-Q
for the quarter ended September 30, 2005, filed on November 14, 2005, it
will effectively be expensed in our second fiscal quarter ending December
31, 2005).
The gain or loss on extinguishment will be measured as the difference
between the fair value of the "new" debt instruments (plus the fee) and
the carrying values of the "old" debt instruments and the related
bifurcated derivative instruments (including the conversion option). As
the new debt instrument has only standard anti-dilution provisions, it
will qualify as "conventional convertible debt" and the embedded
conversion option will not be bifurcated. Any other embedded derivative
instruments, however, will be bifurcated, as appropriate. Although the old
debt is carried at a significant discount and the new debt will not be
subject to the same discounts (thus giving rise to a significant loss on
extinguishment), it is probable that this will be more than offset by the
elimination of the derivative liability related to the embedded conversion
option (which will no longer be bifurcated).
Note 12. Convertible long term debt, page F-35, and Convertible credit facility,
page F-36
2. We have evaluated response 1 and 2 and continue to believe that you have
not provided a sufficient basis to consider the convertible term note and
convertible credit facility as conventional convertible debt as defined
under paragraph 4 of EITF 00-19. It appears since the conversion feature
resets upon certain events, you would be unable to conclude that the
conversion option is settled in a fixed number of shares. The reference in
paragraph 4 of EITF 00-19 to "at the discretion of the issue" relates to a
choice of settlement (i.e. shares or and equivalent amount of cash), not
whether the issuer has the ability to change the number of shares.
Additionally, it also appears that the monthly conversion repayment
feature does not result in the holder receiving a fixed number of shares
or an equivalent amount of cash (at the discretion of the issuer) since
the provisions require you to pay 103% of the principal amount in cash if
certain criteria are not met. This cash settlement value differs from the
value of the shares that would be required to be issued if you were
permitted to pay in shares. Please advise or revise.
1
<PAGE>
Response
The accounting for the embedded conversion option of our original
convertible debt is being modified to bifurcate the conversion option and
account for it as a derivative liability.
In accordance with the guidance in Derivatives Implementation Group Issue
B-15 (DIG B-15), if a hybrid instrument contains more than one embedded
derivative feature that would individually warrant separate accounting as
a derivative instrument under paragraph 12 of FAS 133, those embedded
derivative features must be bundled together as a single, compound
embedded derivative instrument that is then bifurcated and accounted for
separately from the host contract. Accordingly, in bifurcating the
embedded conversion option, the determination of the value of the embedded
derivative has included the conversion option, the expected future
interest stream that may be settled in shares, and the interest rate reset
feature. As discussed in our response to comment 3 (see response 3 (c)
below), the 7.5% floor related to the interest rate is considered to be
"clearly and closely related" and does not require to be bifurcated.
In valuing the embedded conversion option (including the call options
represented by the payment of interest in shares and the potential effect
on those options of the interest rate reset feature), we have used the
Black-Scholes option pricing model. SFAS 133 does not prescribe any
specific models for estimating fair value and, generally, retained the
definition of fair value that was included in SFAS 107. DIG B-22 makes the
distinction between option-based contracts (rights to put or call) and
forward-based contracts (rights to future cash flow) in connection with
the bifurcation of embedded derivatives in hybrid contracts. Generally,
the methodology for bifurcation of a hybrid instrument (i.e., convertible
debt) follows an option-based model. Based upon this guidance, we used the
Black-Scholes option pricing model. As of June 30, 2005, the resulting
fair value of the embedded conversion option is approximately $73 million.
If bifurcated (see comment 5 below), the fair value at June 30, 2005 of
the embedded conversion option of our convertible preferred stock would be
approximately $23 million.
3. Please refer to prior comment 4. Please provide us with the following
requested information:
o We note that you believe the interest rate adjustment feature described
in our prior comment 4 is an embedded derivative that is required under
SFAS 133 to be separated from the host contract. We do not believe the
reasons you cite provide a sufficient basis to not comply with SFAS 133.
o Refer to the redemption option and the guarantee provided by the
Province of New Brunswick. In your response you cite the accounting
literature that you considered in reaching a conclusion that separate
accounting for these embedded features is not required. In order to
facilitate our evaluation of your conclusion, please give us your analysis
of these features under the accounting literature to which you referenced.
Please also refer us to the financial statement disclosure related to each
feature.
o It is unclear whether you identified all potential embedded derivatives.
For example, please tell us how you evaluated the interest rate floor of
7.5% in the convertible credit facility under SFAS 133.
Response
(a) As noted in response to comment 2 above, the interest rate reset
feature is included in the valuation of the bifurcated compound derivative
instrument.
2
<PAGE>
(b)(1) We are not entirely clear what you mean by "Refer to the redemption
option". We assume you are referring to our ability to redeem the loan.
Under FAS 133, paragraph 61(d), the call option is considered to be
"clearly and closely related" to the debt instrument.
(b)(2) The guarantee provided by the Province of New Brunswick is covered
by paragraph 10 d of FAS 133, which was modified by FAS 149, as follows:
Financial guarantee contracts. Financial guarantee contracts are not
subject to this Statement only if:
(1) They provide for payments to be made solely to reimburse the
guaranteed party for failure of the debtor to satisfy its required
payment obligations under a nonderivative contract, either at
pre-specified payment dates or accelerated payment dates as a result
of the occurrence of an event of default (as defined in the
financial obligation covered by the guarantee contract) or notice of
acceleration being made to the debtor by the creditor.
(2) Payment under the financial guarantee contract is made only if
the debtor's obligation to make payments as a result of conditions
as described in (1) above is past due.
(3) The guaranteed party is, as a precondition in the contract (or
in the back-to-back arrangement, if applicable) for receiving
payment of any claim under the guarantee, exposed to the risk of
nonpayment both at inception of the financial guarantee contract and
throughout its term either through direct legal ownership of the
guaranteed obligation or through a back-to-back arrangement with
another party that is required by the back-to-back arrangement to
maintain direct ownership of the guaranteed obligation.
In contrast, financial guarantee contracts are subject to this
Statement if they do not meet all of the above three criteria, for
example, if they provide for payments to be made in response to
changes in another underlying such as a decrease in a specified
debtor's creditworthiness.
The guarantee provided by the Province of New Brunswick provides for a
guarantee on up to CD$8,000,000 advanced by Laurus. Payment under the
guarantee is required only if we fail to repay Laurus when due or demanded
under our agreements. Laurus is required to maintain a security interest
in our assets and make reasonable commercial efforts to collect on that
security before payments under the guarantee are required. Accordingly, we
do not believe the guarantee is subject to FAS 133.
Because the guarantee benefits Laurus and does not directly benefit us, we
had not previously included it in our footnote disclosure. However, for
the sake of completeness, it has now been included in the revised footnote
disclosure (see Exhibit A).
(c) In accordance with FAS 133, paragraph 61(f), the interest rate floor
of 7.5% is considered to be "clearly and closely related" to the host debt
instrument (and therefore does not require to be bifurcated) because
neither of the conditions in paragraphs 13(a) or 13(b) of FAS 133 are
considered to be met, i.e., (1) under paragraph 13(a), the debt instrument
can not be settled in such a way that Laurus would not recover
substantially all of its initial recorded investment and (2) under
paragraph 13(b), the interest rate floor does not provide a possible
future interest rate scenario (even though it may be remote) under which
the interest rate floor would at least double Laurus' initial rate of
return on the host contract.
3
<PAGE>
4. Please provide the revised footnote disclosure you propose to make in
response to prior comment 5. We may have further comments after reviewing
your response.
Response
A copy of the revised footnote was included in the additional material we
previously provided to the Staff by fax on November 4, 2005, immediately
following submission of our previous response.
We have included in Exhibit A an updated copy of the proposed footnote
disclosure. Please note that this Exhibit includes the text of the
proposed footnote disclosure but does not fully reflect the amounts,
pending completion of the entries associated with bifurcating the embedded
conversion option.
Note 16. Redeemable preferred shares, page F-39
5. We are continuing to evaluate response 7.
Response
Please advise when you have completed your evaluation. From our prior
telephone conversation with the Staff, we understood (perhaps incorrectly)
that the Staff believed that a formula-based adjustment of the conversion
price (that attempted to maintain the holder in the same relative
position) did not violate the "fixed number of shares" test for exemption
from evaluation under EITF 00-19. It would be helpful to us to understand
whether your continued evaluation involves (a) a revision of what we
understood to be the Staff's position or (b) consideration of whether the
formula in our convertible preferred stock is adequate in meeting that
test. If you believe that our convertible preferred stock does not meet
the test for exemption from EITF 00-19, such that bifurcation of the
embedded conversion option is required, we would appreciate it if you
would advise us promptly.
6. Since you have concluded that the convertible preferred stock is
conventional convertible, and therefore the embedded conversion option is
outside of the scope of EITF 00-19 and SFAS 133, it would appear that you
would be required to account for the beneficial conversion feature that
exists on the date of issuance pursuant to the provisions of EITF 98-5 and
EITF 00-27. If you determine that a beneficial conversion feature exists,
you are required to record a discount that would be accreted from the date
of issuance to the stated redemption date of the convertible instrument
(unless you meet the conditional provisions that are outlined in the
footnote), regardless of when the earliest conversion date occurs. Please
revise your accounting to comply with the provisions of paragraph 19 of
EITF 00-27.
Response
At the time of issuance of the convertible preferred stock, we accounted
for the beneficial conversion feature. The preferred stock has conditions
that permit the holder to request redemption in certain circumstances.
However, it has no stated redemption date. Accordingly, as disclosed in
the footnotes to our consolidated financial statements, the beneficial
conversion feature was amortized over the period to the earliest
conversion date (as required by EITF 98-05 and 00-27), resulting in
immediate recognition.
4
<PAGE>
7. Please provide the revised footnote disclosure you propose