Brazil

Brazilian oil giant Petrobras has increased the maximum amount of its tender offer for a second time, from $4bn to $6bn, as it continues to make impressive progress chipping away at its roughly $120bn debt mountain.

All seven new issues to emerge from Latin America last week ended Friday above their respective reoffer prices to reiterate the favourable conditions available to the region’s borrowers.

Brazilian state-owned oil company Petrobras cemented its popularity as an improving credit story with a hugely oversubscribed $4bn new issue that flew above par in secondary markets, triggering a great week for Lat Am new issues and reiterating the renewed optimism around Latin America’s largest economy.

Investors saw Brazilian pulp and paper company Fibria Celulose’s new 10 year green bond pricing very tight to its existing curve, despite the company having to remove controversial covenant language after it proved unpopular with investors.

Four private sector corporates from Latin America sold dollar denominated bonds this week, although borrower-friendly market conditions were not enough to allow the issuers to get away with more aggressive covenant language.

Both of Petrobras’ new benchmark bonds traded up more than a point the day after pricing as bankers said the level of demand for the deal would have allowed the company to print even more than the $4bn it managed on Monday.

Bond bankers were struggling to remember a time when a single-B credit had provided the first LatAm deal of the year, but Petrobras’ new issue succeeded in blowing the market wide open as borrowers line up to raise funding.

BRF, the Brazilian food conglomerate, has confirmed that it is considering London for an IPO of its halal food business, although a final decision has not been made.

Petrobras has opened books on the first non-Asian emerging markets bond of the year, and is marketing a four-tranche dollar bond.

Pulp and paper producer Fibria Celulose is looking to become the second Brazilian company in the sector to issue green bonds after mandating five banks to manage an investor roadshow.

Brazilian corporates Fibria Celulose and Raizen are looking to sell dollar bonds this month as bankers say issuances volumes from Latin America’s largest economy will continue to recover in 2017.

Brazilian steel company Usiminas has given its dollar bondholders until January 12 to approve its restructuring of domestic debt, the second time it has pushed out the deadline.