Financing Policy

The Telefónica Group seeks to match the schedule for its debt maturity payments to its capacity to generate cash flows to meet these maturities, while allowing for some flexibility. In practice, this has been translated into two key principles:

1. The Telefónica Group’s average maturity of net financial debt is intended to stay above 6 years, or be restored above that threshold in a reasonable period of time if it eventually falls below it. This principle is considered as a guideline when managing debt and access to credit markets, but not a rigid requirement. When calculating the average maturity for the net financial debt and part of the undrawn credit lines can be considered as offsetting the shorter debt maturities, and extension options on some financing facilities may be considered as exercised, for calculation purposes.
2. The Telefónica Group must be able to pay all commitments over the next 12 months without accessing new borrowing or tapping the capital markets (although drawing upon firm credit lines arranged with banks), assuming budget projections are met. Throughout 2012, due to the financial market crisis, the Group decided to apply a substantially greater hedging policy for these commitments.

At December 31, 2012, the average maturity of net financial debt (51,259 million euros) was 6.4 years.

At December 31, 2012, gross financial debt scheduled to maturity in 2013 amounted to approximately 10,074 million euros (including the net position of derivative financial instruments and certain current payables), or 9,574 million euros if Telefónica decides not to exercise early redemption options, which is lower than the amount of funds available, calculated as the sum of: a) current financial assets and cash at December 31, 2012 (11,404 million euros excluding derivative financial instruments), b) annual cash generation projected for 2013; and c) undrawn credit facilities arranged with banks whose original maturity is over one year (an aggregate of more than 9,470 million euros at December 31, 2012), providing flexibility to the Telefónica Group with regard to accessing capital or credit markets in the next 12 months. For a further description of the Telefónica Group’s liquidity and capital resources in 2013, see Note 13.2 Financial Liabilities and Appendix III.

NOTE: For further information, please access the (13) Financial assets and liabilities section of the Consolidated Information document within 2012 Annual Report, [4.9 MB] 2. Financial liabilities subsection (page 66) and the Appendix III (page 145).