NBTY Deal Includes $2.4 Billion of Debt

(Reuters) – Private equity firm Carlyle Group’s $3.8 billion deal for NBTY Inc (NTY.N) is made up of $2.4 billion debt financing and the rest in equity, a source familiar with the situation said on Thursday.

Of the debt financing, about $1.5 billion is in bank debt and about $900 million is bonds, or about 63 percent of the total, the source said. The remainder, about 37 percent, is equity, the source said.

A number of other private equity firms were also interested in NBTY, including TPG Capital LP [TPG.UL], Bain Capital, Apollo Global Management and Blackstone Group LP (BX.N), several sources said.

The deal with Carlyle includes a “go-shop” provision allowing others to counterbid. Blackstone is no longer involved or considering NBTY, however, one of those sources said.