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UPDATE 1-Oce to cut 800 jobs, book charges, amends covenants

Wed May 13, 2009 6:44am EDT

Stocks

   

* To cut 800 jobs, reduce costs by 64 million through 2010

* Amends loan covenants to exclude restructuring charges

* Sees restructuring charge of 45 million euros

(Adds detail on cost cut goals, charges, loan covenants)

AMSTERDAM, May 13 (Reuters) - Dutch photocopier and printer maker Oce NV (OCEN.AS) said on Wednesday it would speed up plans to cut costs and announced it would further reduce 800 jobs and 64 million euros ($87.2 million) in costs through 2010.

With the newly announced measures, aimed at helping the company cope with "deterioration of market sectors", Oce said total cost savings including a previous cost-cutting exercise would amount to 124 million euros.

Oce said it was able to amend its loan covenants in order to implement the cost cuts, by adjusting its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for restructuring charges.

The newly-announced job cuts and restructuring measures will result in a charge of 45 million euros for 2009, Oce said.

The mid-cap company, which also offers document-management and maintenance services, had already reduced headcount by 1,250 jobs in 2008 and the first quarter of this year.

Under the new covenant agreement, Oce's can have a net debt to EBITDA ratio of up to 3.25 though the end of June, 3.50 to end-February 2010, 3.25 to end-June 2010 and then 3.00 thereafter. Previously, the ratio was fixed at 3.0.

Shares in Oce, which were already trading lower, were down 1.3 percent at 4.926 euros at 1030 in Amsterdam. The broader mid-cap index .AMX was down 0.2 percent. ($1=.7336 Euro) (Reporting by Reed Stevenson; Editing by Jon Loades-Carter)



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