Americas

Argentina’s second most populated province raised $450m in international bond markets on Thursday in a deal that bankers away from the trade viewed as coming tighter than expectations.

Mexican conglomerate Grupo Kuo sold $450m of 10 year non-call five notes on Thursday in its first international bond sale in five years, as bankers praised the issuer for its timing.

Argentine energy holding company Pampa Energía said on Thursday that it was delaying a planned peso-linked bond sale, as Lat Am DCM bankers said that caution was the most sensible path for the borrower.

All of the 34 banks taking this year’s Federal Reserve stress tests passed for the first time in the test’s history. For the European-owned firms, that reflects concerted efforts to improve their qualitative processes, while for the major US firms, the result has set off a bonanza of capital returns.

Dollar borrowers wrapped up their funding projects before the July 4 holiday weekend and dodged a global sell-off as central bankers pointed to the end of monetary stimulus.

Argentina’s largest private energy company Pampa Energía wrapped up investor meetings with a lunch in New York on Wednesday but is yet to issue initial price thoughts on a planned fixed rate peso-linked international bond.

Mexico’s third largest lender Banorte will price its first ever Basel III-compliant additional tier one capital bond on Thursday after releasing initial price thoughts on Wednesday.

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) on Wednesday announced it could clear over-the-counter FX options, after receiving regulatory approval from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

French lender Crédit Agricole has hired Italo Lombardi from Standard Chartered as its Latin America economist and strategist.

Argentine energy holding company Pampa Energía is planning to sell its peso-linked international bond on Wednesday, according to a filing with the local regulator.

Marla Dukharan, group economist for the Royal Bank of Canada’s Caribbean operations, is to leave the bank on June 30 after six years, GlobalCapital understands.

Best, the Chinese logistics company backed by Alibaba Group Holdings, has announced its intention to float on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq.