PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 OF THE
Jardim Aeroporto
04630-000 São Paulo, São Paulo
Federative Republic of Brazil
annual reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F ___X___ Form 40-F ______
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the
information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the
information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
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registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b):
GOL Closes US$200mm Perpetual Bond Offering
São Paulo, April 5, 2006 – GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes (NYSE: GOL and Bovespa: GOLL4), Brazil’s low-cost, low-fare airline, announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Gol Finance has closed an issuance of US$200 million 8.75% perpetual notes in an offering exempt from SEC and CVM registration. Gol and its subsidiary Gol Transportes Aéreos S.A guarantee the perpetual notes. The issue was assigned a credit rating of Ba2 by Moody’s, one notch above Brazil’s sovereign rating. The perpetual notes were placed with institutional and retail investors in Asia, Europe and the United States.
The perpetual notes are senior unsecured debt obligations of Gol Finance and have no fixed final maturity date, and are callable at par at the option of the issuer after five years. The notes were priced at 397 basis points over the 5-year U.S. Treasury Note, and 150 basis points over the long-term Brazil Sovereign bond (’37). Gol intends to use the proceeds to finance a portion of its cash payments related to its fleet expansion plan.
“This offering further reduces our cost of capital and bolsters the Company’s capitalization”, says Richard Lark, Chief Financial Officer of GOL.
The perpetual notes (and the guarantees) have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold (a) in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration under the Securities Act; or (b) in any other jurisdiction in which such offer or sale is prohibited. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the notes.
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CONTACT: GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A.
Ph: (5511) 5033 4393
e-mail: ri@golnaweb.com.br
www.voegol.com.br/ir
This release contains forward-looking statements relating to the prospects of the business, estimates for operating and financial results, and those related to growth prospects of GOL. These are merely projections and, as such, are based exclusively on the expectations of GOL’s management concerning the future of the business and its continued access to capital to fund the Company’s business plan. Such forward-looking statements depend, substantially, on changes in market conditions, government regulations, competitive pressures, the performance of the Brazilian economy and the industry, among other factors and risks disclosed in GOL’s filed disclosure documents and are, therefore, subject to change without prior notice.
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GOL LINHAS AÉREAS INTELIGENTES S.A.
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| By: |
/S/
Richard F. Lark, Jr. | |
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Name: Richard F. Lark, Jr.
Title: Vice President – Finance, Chief Financial Officer
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This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are statements that are not historical facts, and are based on management's current view and estimates offuture economic circumstances, industry conditions, company performance and financial results. The words "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "expects", "plans" and similar expressions, as they relate to the company, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Statements regarding the declaration or payment of dividends, the implementation of principal operating and financing strategies and capital expenditure plans, the direction of future operations and the factors or trends affecting financial condition, liquidity or results of operations are examples of forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of management and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. There is no guarantee that the expected events, trends or results will actually occur. The statements are based on many assumptions and factors, including general economic and market conditions, industry conditions, and operating factors. Any changes in such assumptions or factors could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.