Saudi Arabia
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The world's largest oil company, Saudi Aramco, on Tuesday raised an $8bn multi-tranche bond, featuring a rare 50 year piece, in only its second entry into debt capital markets. Proceeds from the deal will help it to generate enough cash to fund a dividend of $75bn as oil prices remain under pressure. -
Saudi Aramco, which made its debut in bond markets last year, has mandated banks to arrange a dollar offering, including a 50 year tranche — a maturity only issued once before by a Gulf borrower. According to market players, this is an opportunistic move to grab cash before year-end taking advantage of yield-hungry investors.
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Crédit Agricole has sold a 4% share stake in Banque Saudi Fransi (BSF) to two unnamed investors for around €330m, ending an association which dates back to 1977.
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The volume of sukuk issues — bonds structured in line with Islamic financing principles — is set to decline this year, despite the market’s best attempts to diversify and become more sustainability-focused.
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Ignitis Grupe, the state-owned Lithuanian energy and utility company, has opened books on its IPO on the Nasdaq Vilinus and London Stock Exchange. The company’s listing will benefit from a framework agreement signed with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, under which it will participate in the IPO.
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Two Gulf bank issuers — Qatar National Bank and Gulf International Bank — hit bond markets on Tuesday to raise dollar funds, following what has been a busy period for Middle Eastern issuers. With investor appetite remains ravenous and market conditions healthy, there is scope for further issuance.
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The IPO of BinDawood, the Saudi supermarket operator, has made off to a fast start with banks covering the deal throughout its price range the day it opened books, driven by strong local demand.
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Saudi Electricity Co, which is majority-owned by the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has raised its debut green sukuk — making it the first green bond ever issued by a Saudi issuer, just months after the Ministry of Finance raised a green export credit agency-backed syndicated loan.
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State-owned Saudi Electricity Co is set to debut in the still nascent green sukuk market, making it only a handful of issuers across the world to do so.
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Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), which holds almost $400bn of assets under management, has played a critical role in maintaining financial stability during the coronavirus pandemic. Alireza Zaimi, head of corporate finance at the PIF, tells GlobalCapital how the fund weathered a commodity shock of unprecedented proportions, how the crisis has shaped its investment choices, and how its funding strategy has held up.
