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Tuesday, 20 March 2018

Ivory Coast Is Selling Africa's Biggest Euro-Currency Bond

Five African countries have issued a total of $12.8 billion of Eurobonds in the first three months of 2018, with the latest issue by Ivory Coast on Thursday, more than half the record $18 billion they managed last year and exceeding the total for the whole of 2016.
On Thursday, Ivory Coast sold 1.7 billion euros ($2.1 billion) of bonds in the biggest issuance in the common currency from an African government, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The world’s largest cocoa producer followed Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya and Senegal in tapping international markets before policy-tightening by the U.S. Federal Reserve lifts borrowing costs.
BNP Paribas SA, Citigroup Inc., Deutsche Bank AG and Societe Generale SA managed Ivory Coast’s sale.
The West African nation’s amortising deal was equally split between a tranche maturing in 2030 and paying 5.25 percent, and another due in 2048 with a yield of 6.625 percent, said the person, who asked not to be identified as they’re not authorised to speak about the matter.
Price guidance was around 5.375 percent for the shorter securities, which have an average life of 11 years, and 6.75 percent for the longer ones, which have a 29-year average maturity, said the person.
That’s the largest amount of euro debt issued by an African sovereign since at least the start of this century when Bloomberg began compiling the data. 
It was also the second-biggest transaction in the currency from emerging markets this year, after Romania’s 2 billion euro-deal on Feb. 1. Investors placed 4.2 billion euros of orders, said the person.
Calls for comment to government spokesman Bruno Kone and Finance Minister Adama Kone went unanswered.
Yields on the government’s 625 million euros of securities due in 2025, its only other bonds in the currency, fell four basis points to 4.26 percent by 8:52 a.m. in London.

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