WKI Holding Co. Inc. Ratings Affirmed After Acquisition Deal Ends; Near-Term Maturities Hurt Liquidity; Outlook Stable

U.S.–based WKI Holding Co. Inc. is no longer being acquired by a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) owned by the private-equity arm of GP Investments Ltd.. The company remains majority owned by its existing financial sponsors. As a result of the deal termination, we are withdrawing our 'B' corporate credit rating on the new parent entity, World Kitchen Group Inc., and withdrawing our 'B' issue-level rating and '3' recovery rating on the previously proposed $275 million senior secured term loan B maturing 2023 under borrowers WKI Holding Co. Inc. and Let's Go Acquisition Corp. We are affirming all of our remaining ratings, including the 'B' corporate credit rating, on WKI Holding Co. Inc. We are revising our assessment of liquidity to

...+ U.S.¡based WKI Holding Co. Inc. is no longer being acquired by a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) owned by the private-equity arm of GP Investments Ltd.. The company remains majority owned by its existing financial sponsors. + As a result of the deal termination, we are withdrawing our 'B' corporate credit rating on the new parent entity, World Kitchen Group Inc., and withdrawing our 'B' issue-level rating and '3' recovery rating on the previously proposed $275 million senior secured term loan B maturing 2023 under borrowers WKI Holding Co. Inc. and Let's Go Acquisition Corp. + We are affirming all of our remaining ratings, including the 'B' corporate credit rating, on WKI Holding Co. Inc. + We are revising our assessment of liquidity to less than adequate given the company's tighter covenant cushion at the end of the third quarter and the upcoming maturity of the company's existing revolver. + The stable outlook reflects our expectation that WKI should be able to remain in...

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