"This is all part of a restructuring plan to make the company healthier in the end," said Ford spokesman Mark Truby.
GM and Chrysler also are trying to swap debt for equity as a requirement of the $17.4 billion in government loans they have received.
Ford said Wednesday that it still does not intend to seek government loans.
The company said in a news release it will offer to convert up to $4.2 billion in bonds issued in 2006. For each $1,000 bond, the company will offer 108.7 shares of stock that had been set aside when the bonds were issued, plus $80 in cash.
In addition, the company will offer to pay up to $1.3 billion in cash from Ford Motor Credit Co. for up to another $4.9 billion in bonds. Those bonds would be purchased for 30 cents on the dollar, when they are now trading at around 20 cents, the company said.
The unsecured debt swap offers expire at 9 a.m. on April 3. However, the offer of 30 cents on the dollar will drop to 27 cents after March 19, the company said.
Other components of the offer include trading $500 million in cash for up to $1.3 billion in term loans through an auction process, the company said.
Ford said it is trying to match the debt restructuring requirements imposed on Chrysler and GM under the terms of their government loans. GM's terms, for instance, set a target for the company to swap two-thirds of its unsecured debt for equity.
Ford had $25.8 billion in debt at the end of 2008.
By converting debt to shares, current stockholders' equity in the company will be diminished. The 500 million shares Ford is offering will make a large addition to the approximately 2.3 billion shares of common stock that are outstanding.
Before Ford announced its offers, its shares closed up 6 cents to $1.87. The shares fell 21 cents, or 11.2 percent, to $1.66 in after-hours trading.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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