Loans and High Yield

Tullow Oil has tightened the already restrictive terms on a new $1.8bn senior secured bond, applying further limits to dividend capacity and restrictions on paying down its unsecured 2025 bonds early. But the company had few other options to stave off a restructuring, other than taking what the market will bear, and the bond looks set to price at the tight end of the 10.25%-10.5% guidance.

French optician Afflelou is looking to sell senior secured high yield notes, in order to pay back state loans and refinance outstanding debt.

Banks backing the successful Allied Universal bid for UK security company G4S are set to split around $100m in financing fees for backing the deal, with Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley in line for the lion’s share of the profits, as the $6.3bn eight tranche syndication is priced and the firm is delisted.

Indonesian textile company Sri Rejeki Isman (Sritex) saw its bonds plummet in the secondary market this week, as investors grappled with the company's missed debt payments and a series of ratings downgrades. Morgan Davis reports.

Philippine property developer SM Prime Holding has returned to the loan market after an absence of five years.

Golden Goose, the Italian shoemaker bought by Permira just before the coronavirus pandemic struck Europe, is looking for €470m of senior secured bonds to repay bridge facilities signed in the acquisition.

Home Credit Vietnam is in talks with banks for a new $50m loan, with its planned fundraising receiving some early mixed response from lenders.

Ares Management has raised a colossal €11bn for its new European direct lending fund, but firms whose investments hit the skids through the pandemic may not find it quite so easy.

Bank of America has hired a managing director from Goldman Sachs to help lead a new team in its UK investment banking division that aims to increase the bank’s coverage of private and emerging growth companies.

German cruise liner Tui Cruises is marketing its first high yield bond, as it emerges from a devastating year for the company and the broader travel sector.

EQT has launched the €1.525bn loan leg of the buy-out funding for its purchase of Cerba Healthcare, a France-based chain of medical laboratories, indicating that the flow of acquisition deals is still running fast, with multibillion deals including Birkenstock and Lonza Specialty Ingredients closing last week, and G4S slated for this week.

Taiwan’s World Peace Industries Group has returned to loans bankers for a NT$18bn-equivalent ($645m) refinancing package. The fundraising includes a commercial paper guarantee tranche that has seen some changes as a result of scrutiny from the regulator.