11 Debt and contingent capital instruments

The Group enters into long- and short-term debt arrangements to obtain funds for general corporate use and specific transaction financing. The Group defines short-term debt as debt having a maturity at the balance sheet date of not greater than one year and long-term debt as having a maturity of greater than one year. For subordinated debt positions, maturity is defined as the first optional redemption date (notwithstanding that optional redemption could be subject to regulatory consent). Interest expense is classified accordingly.

The Groupʼs debt as of 31 December was as follows:

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USD millions

2016

2017

Senior financial debt

590

433

Senior operational debt

431

 

Subordinated financial debt

543

 

Short-term debt – financial and operational debt

1 564

433

 

 

 

Senior financial debt

3 734

3 781

Senior operational debt

423

390

Subordinated financial debt

3 381

3 607

Subordinated operational debt

2 249

2 370

Long-term debt – financial and operational debt

9 787

10 148

 

 

 

Total carrying value

11 351

10 581

Total fair value

13 139

12 681

As of 31 December 2016 and 2017, operational debt, ie debt related to operational leverage, amounted to USD 3.1 billion (thereof USD 2.2 billion limited- or non-recourse) and USD 2.8 billion (thereof USD 2.4 billion limited- or non-recourse), respectively. Operational leverage is subject to asset/liability matching and is excluded from rating agency financial leverage calculations.

Maturity of long-term debt

As of 31 December, long-term debt as reported above had the following maturities:

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USD millions

2016

2017

Due in 2018

0

0

Due in 2019

2 367

2 341

Due in 2020

195

197

Due in 2021

209

213

Due in 2022

771

845

Due after 2022

6 245

6 552

Total carrying value

9 787

10 148

Senior long-term debt

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Maturity

Instrument

Issued in

Currency

Nominal in millions

Interest rate

Book value in USD millions

1

Assumed in the acquisition of GE Insurance Solutions

2019

Syndicated senior bank loans

2014

GBP

475

variable

642

2019

Senior notes1

1999

USD

234

6.45%

245

2022

Senior notes

2012

USD

250

2.88%

249

2023

Senior notes

2016

EUR

750

1.38%

895

2024

EMTN

2014

CHF

250

1.00%

255

2026

Senior notes1

1996

USD

397

7.00%

486

2027

EMTN

2015

CHF

250

0.75%

257

2030

Senior notes1

2000

USD

193

7.75%

262

2042

Senior notes

2012

USD

500

4.25%

490

Various

Payment undertaking agreements

various

USD

338

various

390

Total senior long-term debt as of 31 December 2017

4 171

Total senior long-term debt as of 31 December 2016

4 157

Subordinated long-term debt

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Maturity

Instrument

Issued in

Currency

Nominal in millions

Interest rate

 First call in

Book value in USD millions

2024

Subordinated contingent write-off loan note

2013

USD

750

6.38%

2019

778

2042

Subordinated fixed-to-floating rate loan note

2012

EUR

500

6.63%

2022

596

2044

Subordinated fixed rate resettable callable loan note

2014

USD

500

4.50%

2024

497

2045

Subordinated contingent write-off securities

2013

CHF

175

7.50%

2020

197

2057

Subordinated private placement (amortising, limited recourse)

2007

GBP

1 751

5.06%

 

2 370

 

Subordinated perpetual loan note

2007

GBP

500

6.30%

2019

676

 

Perpetual subordinated fixed-to-floating rate callable loan note

2015

EUR

750

2.60%

2025

863

Total subordinated long-term debt as of 31 December 2017

5 977

Total subordinated long-term debt as of 31 December 2016

5 630

Interest expense on long-term debt and contingent capital instruments

Interest expense on long-term debt for the years ended 31 December was as follows:

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USD millions

2016

2017

Senior financial debt

121

114

Senior operational debt

10

11

Subordinated financial debt

179

166

Subordinated operational debt

122

114

Total

432

405

In addition to the above, interest expense on contingent capital instruments classified as equity was USD 68 million and USD 67 million for the years ended 31 December 2016 and 2017, respectively.

Long-term debt issued in 2017

No long-term debt was issued in the year ended 31 December 2017.

Perpetual subordinated debt facility established in 2017

In July 2017, Swiss Re Ltd established a subordinated debt facility with no fixed termination date. The facility allows Swiss Re Ltd to issue at any time subordinated fixed rate callable notes with a face value of up to USD 750 million, having a first optional redemption date of 15 August 2022 and additional optional redemption dates every five years thereafter. Swiss Re Ltd pays a fee of 2.77% per annum on the available commitment under the facility. Notes issued under the facility have a fixed coupon of 4.63% per annum until the first optional redemption date, which will be reset every five years to the prevailing five-year US Treasury rate plus the fixed-for-life spread of 2.76%.

In these financial statements, the facility fees are classified as interest expense. Notes, when issued under this facility, will be classified as subordinated debt. As of 31 December 2017, no notes have been issued under the facility.

Contingent capital instruments

In March 2012, Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd issued a perpetual subordinated capital instrument with stock settlement. The instrument has a face value of USD 750 million, with a fixed coupon of 8.25% per annum until the first optional redemption date (1 September 2018).

The instrument may be converted, at the option of the issuer, into Swiss Re Ltd shares at any time through “at market“ conversion using the retrospective five-day volume weighted average share price with a 3% discount or within six months following a solvency event at a pre-set floor price of USD 32. The instrument is referred to in these financial statements as “contingent capital instrument”.

In February 2012, Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd issued a contingent capital instrument accounted for as equity with a face value of CHF 320 million and a fixed coupon at a rate of 7.25% per annum. This capital instrument was redeemed on 1 September 2017.