Citi, HSBC, JP Morgan and Mitsubishi are arranging the deal. Price guidance for the five year bond has been released at 310bp over mid-swaps. The 10 year tranche is being talked at 350bp over.
One banker away from the deal put VEB’s 2022s trading at 302bp over mid-swaps on Friday.
“With guidance for the 10 year at 350bp over, that’s nearly a 50bp pick-up for a 2-1/2 year extension,” he said. “The secondary trading levels have already been moving to price in the new deal, so you wouldn’t expect this large a new issue premium.”
He said that with the concession to the secondary market offered in mind, he expects a large deal of up to $2bn.
But a banker on the deal argued that VEB’s secondary trading levels at Monday’s open were wider, at 312bp over mid-swaps, indicating a much less hefty concession. He said the two tranches would be “at least $500m each”.
Another syndicate official away from the deal expected guidance to be tightened before the VEB deal is priced, but added that CEEMEA demand looked more shallow this week.
“The market’s being distracted by Thanksgiving coming soon and by [nominated chair of the US Federal Reserve Janet] Yellen’s speech last week,” he said. “Blue chip investment grade names like VEB and Gazprom Neft will easily find demand but the slightly smaller, more high yield names will have to fight harder if they want to print.”
The roadshow for the note finished on November 13, having visited investors in London, New York and Boston.