Africa

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.

The new bond issues may be flowing in emerging markets, but after weeks of volatility, the era of easy execution is over.

Emerging market investors were optimistic after Cyril Ramaphosa was voted in as president of South Africa on Thursday, following the long awaited resignation of Jacob Zuma, though the administration has its work cut out to revive the country’s anaemic economy.

The Federal Republic of Nigeria has released price guidance for its dual tranche bond that rival syndicate bankers and investors are calling “exceptionally” cheap.

Kenya will have its work cut out to reassure investors after Moody’s cut its credit rating by a notch on Tuesday. Rival bankers said the clash is poor planning, but the leads on Kenya’s upcoming roadshow said investors should be doing their own credit work, reopening the debate about the relevance of ratings agencies in emerging markets.

The Arab Republic of Egypt printed its $4bn triple tranche bond on Tuesday from a book that peaked at $12.5bn, despite another EM issuer — Russia's GTLK — having to postpone because of market volatility. A rival syndicate banker called the note cheap, but necessarily so.

The Arab Republic of Egypt is providing the first big test of the resilience of emerging market debt since last week's volatility with a triple tranche dollar bond. Bankers eyeing the trade say the book size, and amount of price revision, will be a real indicator of investor appetite for riskier EM debt now the shine has come off the market.

Kenya has mandated banks for its first Eurobond since 2014, and is looking to extend its curve by 24 years to join the handful of sub-Saharan African borrowers that have tapped the 30 year part of the curve.

GlobalCapital revealed the winners of its 2017 Loan Awards at its annual Loans and Leveraged Finance Awards Dinner at Gibson Hall in London on February 7. The full results are below: GlobalCapital congratulates all the winners and nominees.

US oil and gas company Kosmos Energy, which operates in Africa, has refinanced a reserve-based lending facility signed in 2015.

Endeavour Mining, the Toronto-listed, UK-headquartered gold exploration company active in west Africa, has raised $300m to refinance debt with a debut five year convertible bond issue that was well subscribed, according to several sources close to the deal.

Aviva Investors has brought in experienced analyst Carmen Altenkirch as a sovereign analyst on its emerging market debt team.