Windstream Holdings (NASDAQ:WIN) is 29.4% lower postmarket because the verdict is in: It's
lost its court fight with Aurelius.
The ruling says the court's task wasn't to opine on the financial wisdom of Windstream Services' decisions in the transaction, but to enforce the indenture
"Doing so here, the Court concludes that Services’ financial maneuvers — and many of its arguments here — are too cute by half," the decision reads.
"That is, the 2015 Transaction qualifies as a Sale and Leaseback Transaction because, in substance, the Transferor Subsidiaries sold the Transferred Assets and then, either directly or indirectly, leased them back; making Holdings the sole signatory on the Master Lease did not change those facts."
Shareholders have been awaiting a verdict in the case since last summer.
Next up: Aurelius will confer with other parties and draft a proposed judgment to be filed for court approval by Feb. 25.