Search results for

INDONESIA's stalled privatisation programme fell victim to yet another delay this week as the increasingly unstable country prepares for elections that threaten to tear it apart. The government had originally planned to sell stakes in 14 firms in the fiscal year ending this month, including two taken over by the government due to financial difficulties last year.

IFCO Inc, the captive finance company in Japan of truck and car manufacturer Isuzu Motors, brought its first international securitisation this week, with a $170m Eurobond sole managed by DKB International. IFCO has previously securitised auto loans in the Japanese commercial paper and private placement markets -- it is now following the path trodden by its larger counterparts in the Nissan, Mitsubishi and Mazda groups, all of which have issued public ABS this year in search of off-balance sheet finance from a new investor base.

MERRILL Lynch will launch Shinhan Bank's $400m GDR sale on Monday in a brave move that will see the deal roadshowed over the Easter holiday with pricing likely during the weekend of April 11. A syndicate including Crédit Lyonnais Securities Asia, HSBC Investment Bank, Jardine Fleming and local houses LG Securities and Shinhan Securities, have joined joint lead Hyundai Securities in the deal.

THE REPUBLIC of the Philippines is continuing to cement its reputation as Asia's most active borrower, moving ahead with plans to refinance its $610m one year term loan due September this year. Having already all but completed its 1999 fundraising programme, the government has recently been focusing on its refinancing needs and the more careful management of existing liabilities.

South Africa Chase Manhattan and Warburg Dillon Read have launched syndication of the $130m loan for Avold, the South African mining company.

THE INTERNATIONAL debt markets powered ahead this week with both euros and dollars enjoying surging issuance. Neither see-sawing equity markets nor the Kosovo crisis could distract market participants' determination to push issuance to new limits. While most of this week's euro denominated corporate transactions were successful and were praised for their extensive premarketing, the weight of supply softened spreads and on Thursday recent issues moved out from 2bp to 3bp.

ARGENTARIA broke new ground this week with the launch of a Eu1bn Pfandbrief-style bond, the first jumbo mortgage security to be launched by a Spanish bank. Joint lead managed by Argentaria and Goldman Sachs, the 10 year transaction was greeted with interest by the market but was generally deemed slightly tight at its spread of 40bp over Bunds and 7bp over the DePfa jumbo of January 2009.

THE REPUBLIC of Argentina created what will ultimately be an Eu1.8bn benchmark this week by launching an Eu250m bond fungible with its 2008 European currency line. The deal, led by Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and ABN Amro, carries a 14% up-front coupon that steps down to 8% in 2001, when it becomes fungible with the Eu350m offering with a 15% upfront coupon stepping down to 8% that Morgan Stanley underwrote for the republic in February.

AT&T DEMONSTRATED the extraordinary depth of demand for top corporate credits this week when its $8bn three tranche financing set an unprecedented landmark for the global bond market.

AT&T DEMONSTRATED the extraordinary depth of demand for top corporate credits this week when its $8bn three tranche financing set an unprecedented landmark for the global bond market. The long awaited deal broke several records -- it was the biggest corporate bond financing in history, while the 10 and 30 year tranches created the largest ever single corporate debt issues.

5107

THE CRUCIAL FIRST phase of Olivetti's record Eu22.5bn loan -- gaining Eu1bn sub-underwriting commitments from the world's top lenders -- is set to close tonight (Friday), with all indications pointing to a massive oversubscription.