Brazil

NiQuan Energy Trinidad Ltd, the owner of a gas-to-liquids plant in Trinidad and Tobago, held its final conference calls on Thursday and appears to represent the Lat Am DCM market’s last hope of primary activity in 2018, with most bankers now looking towards January.

Brazilian government-owned oil company Petrobras has said it is looking to deleverage as part of its new five year business plan. But it will still be a regular borrower in capital markets. Furthermore, though some Latin American debt capital markets bankers say their January pipeline is looking bearer than it usually does at this stage of the year, Brazilian public sector issuers could be the one active area of the market.

Brazilian steelmaker Gerdau will buy back $1bn of existing dollar bonds after receiving over $1.345bn of offers from bondholders to participate in a tender offer during the early-bird period, taking advantage of a strong cash position after asset sales and a recent local bond issue.

Santander Brasil has tested the country’s Letra Imobiliária Garantida (LIGs) covered bond regime with two privately placed deals.

Odebrecht Engenharia & Construçäo finally admitted defeat in its attempt to avoid default on Monday, as it acknowledged that it would not be making a $11.5m coupon payment due on its $519m of 4.375% 2025 bonds, paving the way for a restructuring.

Bondholders of Brazilian mining group Vale have taken the chance to decrease their exposure to the rapidly deleveraging company with relish, as investors holding over $3.8bn of paper attempted to participate in a tender offer capped at $1bn.

Odebrecht Engenharia & Construçäo finally admitted defeat in its attempt to avoid default on Monday, as it acknowledged it would not be making a $11.5m coupon payment due on its $519m of 4.375% bonds due 2025, paving the way for a restructuring.

Some Latin American DCM bankers think the year is over for new issuance, and several are indeed wishing it already were. Though much of what put the brakes on in Lat Am this year will continue to affect the market in 2019, bond bankers should find reasons to believe January will be better.

Latin American DCM bankers say that continued debt buy-backs by Brazilian companies are creating strong technicals that should put the market in good stead for next year.

Brazilian mining giant Vale has launched its third public tender offer for outstanding international bonds, seeking to continue to cut its debt by buying back $1bn of notes.

Pulp and paper producer Suzano Papel e Celulose raised $500m of 30 year debt on Tuesday, two months after first mooting the idea, putting it closer to completing the financing of its takeover of fellow Brazilian company Fibria.

A pair of rare euro bonds from sovereign emerging markets borrowers hit the market this week, much to the approval of investors who said the deals provided “good value”.