Africa Bonds

The Arab Republic of Egypt has named four banks to manage its first euro-denominated bond sale.

Seplat Petroleum, a Nigerian oil and gas exploration and production company, was offering a 9% handle for its market debut on Monday.

The pipeline for euro-denominated African bonds is beginning to bulge, with Cote d’Ivoire announcing plans to follow Senegal to the market this week and Tunisia and Egypt preparing their own deals. But, as Virginia Furness reports, while large euro books show there is strong appetite for speculative grade supply, and is opening up a new funding channel for EM borrowers, the cost of funding in the currency versus dollars is unlikely to improve.

Combined books of $9.5bn enabled the Republic of Senegal to both print the tightest ever dollar 30 year dollar bond from a sub-Saharan African issuer (ex-South Africa), and to revise guidance by 50bp for its euro debut on Tuesday.

Emerging market bond markets began with a softer tone on Wednesday after the resignation of Gary Cohn as Donald Trump’s economic adviser added to a more negative tone in global markets. Cohn is a supporter of free trade and opposed Trump's leanings towards protectionism.

Price talk for Senegal’s new euro bond prompted fierce debate on Tuesday morning. Based on guidance, syndicate bankers away from the deal questioned the cost of the deal compared with a dollar issue, though the strong pricing result in euros may have put the debate to rest.

Republic of Senegal could well have timed to perfection its plans to issue a euro-denominated bond with EM investors calling this the “last chance” for EM borrowers to take advantage of extraordinarily low interest rates in the currency.

Emerging market bonds have been buoyed by several positives in key markets this week including a cabinet reshuffle in South Africa that has seen the return of respected former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene, and the upgrade of Russia to investment grade by S&P.

Seplat Petroleum Development, a Nigerian oil and gas exploration and production company, is lining up its first international bond which will also be the first non-financial corporate bond from Africa this year.

Republic of Senegal is planning to make its first funding foray into euros, following its fellow West African nation Cote d’Ivoire to fund in its natural currency.

Kenya printed a $2bn dual tranche bond this week from a combined book of $14bn as investors continued to pile into emerging market credits they favour.

Kenya looked to have adopted the same pricing strategy as its African peers on Wednesday, opening books on a dual tranche 2028 and 2048 bond with a chunky concession, much like Egypt and Nigeria last week.