Americas

The pull of a big fee pool and global reallocation of capital and resources are prompting banks to rethink the way they serve clients in the technology sector on both sides of the Atlantic, writes David Rothnie.

The world’s largest wheel manufacturer, Iochpe-Maxion, on Tuesday became the fourth Latin American issuer in four business days to issue a sustainability-linked bond (SLB). The Brazilian issuer sold a $400m seven year deal with an apparently more ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reduction target than the one set by Mexican car parts supplier Metalsa on its own SLB last week.

Oil and gas producer Pan American Energy sold $300m of six year bonds on Tuesday in the first international new issue from an Argentine borrower since July 2019, surprising some market participants who had been sceptical about its chances.

Chinese companies have raised equity in the US at a record pace this year. The deal flow has quashed fears that a hostile White House would dissuade China’s hordes of technology startups from listing on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq.

Senator Marco Rubio is the latest Republican in the US to launch an attack on what conservative voices have recently dubbed “woke capital,” apparently putting the GOP at odds with an investment world that has embraced ESG.

AES Dominicana, the Dominican power generation company that is 85% owned by AES Corp, began investor calls on Monday ahead of a proposed $300m bond that will mostly be used to fund a tender offer for bonds maturing in 2026.

Brazilian cosmetics group Natura sold a sustainability-linked bond (SLB) on Monday offering an exceptionally high coupon step-up of 65bp if it does not meet sustainability targets. Though the greater increase was to compensate for the shorter time between the potential step-up and maturity than on most SLBs, it succeeded in grabbing the attention of EM bond buyers.

South Africa's Investec has launched a proprietary secondary loan trading desk in New York, having recruited a senior trader to lead it.

After Mexican conglomerate Femsa became the first issuer from the Americas to sell a sustainability-linked bond (SLB) in euros last week, Latin America bond origination bankers say they expect the region’s companies to continue to embrace the format.

Puerta de Hierro, a toll road project in Colombia’s Caribbean region, has tapped a combination of Colombian, Latin American and international investors to sell a Colombian peso inflation-linked social bond amid a wave of ESG-related issuance in Latin America.

Goldman Sachs made its second visit to the Maple market this year on Thursday. The Canadian dollar market is enjoying its busiest year in four years for offshore issuance.

Chinese health insurance and healthcare crowdfunding platform Waterdrop has kicked off pre-deal investor education for its US listing, according to a source close to the IPO.