GameStop’s $56 Billion eBay Bid Faces Financing Hurdles Over Credit Rating Requirements

Story Summary
GameStop’s unsolicited $56 billion bid for eBay faces significant execution risks due to restrictive conditions within its $20 billion financing commitment from TD Securities. According to reports from CNBC’s David Faber, the financing agreement mandates that the combined entity maintain an investment-grade credit profile. However, Moody’s Ratings has labeled the proposed acquisition "credit negative," estimating that the resulting leverage could reach nine times debt-to-EBITDA, likely pushing the company below investment-grade status. With GameStop’s market capitalization at approximately $11 billion, CEO Ryan Cohen has suggested potential stock issuance to fund the transaction. The discrepancy between the required credit rating and the projected debt load casts doubt on the viability of the deal as currently structured.





