Argentina’s YPF offers export guarantees in mega debt exchange

Argentine oil and gas company YPF has launched an exchange offer for all of its $6.228bn of outstanding international bonds, taking advantage of a new central bank rule that enables companies to issue bonds guaranteed by export receivables. The proposed exchange bonds would not pay interest until 2023, and Fitch said the deal qualifies as a distressed exchange under its criteria — even though investors will end up owning more bonds than they started with.