Debt Obligations

The following table presents the changes in the carrying amount of our debt obligations during the year ended December 31, 2016:



	December 31, 2015		Additions		Payments, Accretion and Other			December 31, 2016
	(in millions)
5.55% senior unsecured notes due January 15, 2020	$	597	$	—	$	1		$	598
5.25% senior unsecured notes due January 16, 2018	368		—		1			369
3.875% senior unsecured notes due June 7, 2021	646		—		(21		)	625
4.25% senior unsecured notes due June 1, 2024	495		—		—			495
1.75% senior unsecured notes due May 19, 2023	—		664		(42		)	622
3.85% senior unsecured notes due June 30, 2026	—		495		—			495
$400 million senior unsecured term loan facility due November 25, 2019 (average interest rate of 2.00% for the period March 17, 2016 through December 31, 2016)	—		399		—			399
$750 million revolving credit commitment due November 25, 2019 (average interest rate of 1.63% for the period January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016)	258		898		(1,156		)	—
Total long-term debt obligations	$	2,364	$	2,456	$	(1,217	)	$	3,603

Senior Unsecured Notes

Our senior unsecured notes were all issued at a discount. As a result of the discount, the proceeds received from each issuance were less than the aggregate principal amount. As of December 31, 2016, the amounts in the table above reflect the aggregate principal amount, less the unamortized debt discount and the unamortized debt issuance costs which are being accreted through interest expense over the life of the applicable notes. Our senior unsecured notes are general unsecured obligations of ours and rank equally with all of our existing and future unsubordinated obligations and they are not guaranteed by any of our subsidiaries. The senior unsecured notes were issued under indentures that, among other things, limit our ability to consolidate, merge or sell all or substantially all of our assets, create liens, and enter into sale and leaseback transactions.

With the exception of the 2020 Notes, upon a change of control triggering event (as defined in the various note indentures), the terms require us to repurchase all or part of each holder’s notes for cash equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount purchased plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any.

5.55% Senior Unsecured Notes

In January 2010, Nasdaq issued the 2020 Notes. The 2020 Notes pay interest semiannually at a rate of 5.55% per annum until January 15, 2020.

5.25% Senior Unsecured Notes

In December 2010, Nasdaq issued the 2018 Notes. The 2018 Notes pay interest semiannually at a rate of 5.25% per annum until January 16, 2018 and such rate may vary with Nasdaq’s debt rating up to a rate not to exceed 7.25%.

3.875% Senior Unsecured Notes

In June 2013, Nasdaq issued the 2021 Notes. The 2021 Notes pay interest annually at a rate of 3.875% per annum until June 7, 2021 and such rate may vary with Nasdaq’s debt rating up to a rate not to exceed 5.875%.

The 2021 Notes have been designated as a hedge of our net investment in certain foreign subsidiaries to mitigate the foreign exchange risk associated with certain investments in these subsidiaries. The decrease in the carrying amount of $21 million noted in the “Payments, Accretion and Other” column in the table above primarily reflects the translation of the 2021 Notes into U.S. dollars and is recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss within stockholders’ equity in the Consolidated Balance Sheets for the year ended December 31, 2016.

4.25% Senior Unsecured Notes

In May 2014, Nasdaq issued the 2024 Notes. The 2024 Notes pay interest semiannually at a rate of 4.25% per annum until June 1, 2024 and such rate may vary with Nasdaq’s debt rating up to a rate not to exceed 6.25%.

1.75% Senior Unsecured Notes

In May 2016, Nasdaq issued the 2023 Notes. We used the net proceeds from the 2023 Notes and the 2026 Notes to fund our acquisition of ISE. See “Acquisition of ISE,” of Note 4, “Acquisitions,” for further discussion of the ISE acquisition.

The 2023 Notes pay interest annually at a rate of 1.75% per annum until May 19, 2023 and such rate may vary with Nasdaq’s debt rating up to a rate not to exceed 3.75%.

The 2023 Notes have been designated as a hedge of our net investment in certain foreign subsidiaries to mitigate the foreign exchange rate risk associated with certain investments in these subsidiaries. The decrease in the carrying amount of $42 million noted in the “Payments, Accretion and Other” column in the table above reflects the translation of the 2023 Notes into U.S. dollars and is recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss within stockholders’ equity in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2016.

3.85% Senior Unsecured Notes

In June 2016, Nasdaq issued the 2026 Notes. We used the net proceeds from the 2023 Notes and the 2026 Notes to fund our acquisition of ISE. See “Acquisition of ISE,” of Note 4, “Acquisitions,” for further discussion of the ISE acquisition.

The 2026 Notes pay interest semiannually at a rate of 3.85% per annum until June 30, 2026 and such rate may vary with Nasdaq’s debt rating up to a rate not to exceed 5.85%.

Credit Facilities

As of December 31, 2016, the amounts in the table above reflect the aggregate principal amount, less the unamortized debt issuance costs which are being accreted through interest expense over the life of the applicable credit facility. Nasdaq is permitted to repay borrowings under our credit facilities at any time in whole or in part, without penalty. We are also required to repay loans outstanding under our credit facilities with net cash proceeds from sales of property and assets of Nasdaq and its subsidiaries (excluding inventory sales and other sales in the ordinary course of business) and casualty and condemnation proceeds, in each case subject to specified exceptions and thresholds.

Our credit facilities contain financial and operating covenants. Financial covenants include a minimum interest expense coverage ratio and a maximum leverage ratio. Operating covenants include, among other things, limitations on Nasdaq’s ability to incur additional indebtedness, grant liens on assets, enter into affiliate transactions, dispose of assets and pay dividends. Our credit facilities allow us to pay cash dividends on our common stock. The facilities also contain customary affirmative covenants, including access to financial statements, notice of defaults and certain other material events, maintenance of business and insurance, and events of default, including cross-defaults to our material indebtedness.

2016 Credit Facility

In March 2016, Nasdaq entered into the 2016 Credit Facility. In March 2016, loans in an aggregate principal amount of $400 million were drawn under the 2016 Credit Facility and the net proceeds were used to partially repay amounts outstanding under the revolving credit commitment of the 2014 Credit Facility as discussed below.

Loans under the 2016 Credit Facility pay interest monthly at a variable interest rate based on either the LIBOR or the base rate (or other applicable rate with respect to non-dollar borrowings), plus an applicable margin that varies with Nasdaq’s debt rating. Under the 2016 Credit Facility, we are required to make quarterly principal payments beginning in March 2018 equal to 2.50% of the aggregate original principal amounts borrowed with the remaining amounts due at maturity.

2014 Credit Facility

In November 2014, Nasdaq entered into the 2014 Credit Facility. The 2014 Credit Facility consists of a $750 million revolving credit commitment (with sublimits for non-dollar borrowings, swingline borrowings and letters of credit). At various points during 2016, we borrowed under the revolving credit commitment of the 2014 Credit Facility. Total borrowings for the year were $898 million of which $361 million was used to partially fund our acquisitions of Nasdaq CXC, Marketwired and Boardvantage, and $537 million was used for general corporate purposes. We used the net proceeds from our 2016 Credit Facility and cash on hand to repay $1,156 million under the revolving credit commitment of the 2014 Credit Facility. See “2016 Acquisitions,” of Note 4, “Acquisitions,” for further discussion of the Nasdaq CXC, Marketwired and Boardvantage acquisitions.

The loans under the 2014 Credit Facility have a variable interest rate based on either the LIBOR or the base rate (as defined in the credit agreement) (or other applicable rate with respect to non-dollar borrowings), plus an applicable margin that varies with Nasdaq’s debt rating.

Other Credit Facilities

In addition to the revolving credit commitment under our 2014 Credit Facility discussed above, we have credit facilities related to our Nasdaq Clearing operations in order to provide further liquidity. Credit facilities, which are available in multiple currencies, totaled $170 million at December 31, 2016 and $202 million at December 31, 2015 in available liquidity, none of which was utilized.

Debt Covenants

At December 31, 2016, we were in compliance with the covenants of all of our debt obligations.