ThZeal - The Zeal

Date: December 21, 2020

CERENCE INC.

/s/ Mark Gallenberger

Mark Gallenberger

Chief Financial Officer

8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 17, 2020

CERENCE INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)


Delaware	001-39030	83-4177087
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

15 Wayside Road Burlington, Massachusetts		01803
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (857) 362-7300

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13d-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class

Trading

Symbol(s)

Name of each exchange

on which registered

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

CRNC

The Nasdaq Global Select Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☒

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

First Amendment to Credit Agreement

On December 17, 2020 (the “Amendment No. 1 Effective Date”), Cerence Inc. (the “Borrower” or the “Company”) entered into Amendment No. 1 to Credit Agreement, by and among the Borrower, the lenders and issuing banks party thereto and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (the “Amendment”), which amends certain terms of the Credit Agreement, dated as of June 12, 2020, by and among the Company, the lenders and issuing banks party thereto and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (as amended by the Amendment, and as further amended, supplemented, or otherwise modified, the “Credit Agreement”).

The Amendment extended the scheduled maturity date of the revolving credit and term facilities provided by the Credit Agreement from June 12, 2024 to April 1, 2025.

The Amendment also, among other things, revised certain interest rates in the Credit Agreement. Following delivery of a compliance certificate for the first full fiscal quarter after the Amendment No. 1 Effective Date, the applicable margins for the revolving credit and term facilities is subject to a pricing grid based upon the net total leverage ratio as follows (i) if the net total leverage ratio is greater than 3.00 to 1.00, the applicable margin is LIBOR plus 3.00% or ABR plus 2.00%; (ii) if the net total leverage ratio is less than or equal to 3.00 to 1.00 but greater than 2.50 to 1.00, the applicable margin is LIBOR plus 2.75% or ABR plus 1.75%; (iii) if the net total leverage ratio is less than or equal to 2.50 to 1.00 but greater than 2.00 to 1.00, the applicable margin is LIBOR plus 2.50% or ABR plus 1.50%; (iv) if the net total leverage ratio is less than or equal to 2.00 to 1.00 but greater than 1.50 to 1.00, the applicable margin is LIBOR plus 2.25% or ABR plus 1.25%; and (v) if the net total leverage ratio is less than or equal to 1.50 to 1.00, the applicable margin is LIBOR plus 2.20% or ABR plus 1.00%. From the Amendment No. 1 Effective Date until the date on which the financial statements are delivered for the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2020, the interest rate will be LIBOR plus 2.50% or ABR plus 1.50%.

In addition, the quarterly commitment fee required to be paid based on the unused portion of the revolving facility is subject to a pricing grid based upon the net total leverage ratio as follows (i) if the net total leverage ratio is greater than 3.00 to 1.00, the unused line fee is 0.500%; (ii) if the net total leverage ratio is less than or equal to 3.00 to 1.00 but greater than 2.50 to 1.00, the unused line fee is 0.450%; (iii) if the net total leverage ratio is less than or equal to 2.50 to 1.00 but greater than 2.00 to 1.00, the unused line fee is 0.400%; (iv) if the net total leverage ratio is less than or equal to 2.00 to 1.00 but greater than 1.50 to 1.00, the unused line fee is 0.350%; and (v) if the net total leverage ratio is less than or equal to 1.50 to 1.00, the unused line fee is 0.300%.

The Amendment also revised the amount by which we are obligated to make quarterly principal payments. Through the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2022, we are obligated to make quarterly principal payments in an aggregate amount equal to 1.25% of the original principal amount of the Term Loan Facility. From the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2023 and for each fiscal quarter thereafter, we are obligated to make quarterly principal payments in an aggregate amount equal to 2.50% of the original principal amount of the Term Loan Facility, with the balance payable at the maturity date thereof.

The foregoing description of the Amendment does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Amendment, which is attached as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01—Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits


Exhibit Number		Description

10.1¹		Amendment No. 1, dated as of December 17, 2020, by and between Cerence Inc., the lenders and issuing banks party thereto and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as administrative agent.

¹	Certain schedules and similar attachments have been omitted. The Company agrees to furnish a supplemental copy of any omitted schedule or attachment to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.