CEE Bonds

Talk of Russian issuers’ bond plans has been gathering pace this week as Gazprom has mandated for a bond to be printed before the end of this year, sanctioned VEB looks to 2016 for a Panda bond, and Norilsk Nickel embarks on a series of investor meetings.

Bankers are pointing to sovereigns from central Eastern Europe as the best hope for CEEMEA supply although much of the region is bound by the uncertainty of when the US will start to raise rates.

State Savings Bank of Ukraine (Oschadbank) has finished exchanging its 2016 and 2018 Eurobonds into new 2023 and 2025 notes.

Poland made sure CEEMEA was not left out of the September restart rush on Wednesday, but more traditional emerging markets are likely to be left sidelined until after the US Federal Reserve decides to raise interest rates, said debt bankers.

Russia’s Vnesheconombank is in talks to sell Panda bonds, but the note will be placed next year at the earliest, said a source close to the borrower.

Gazprom is planning to issue a Eurobond in the last quarter of this year, and has been in preliminary discussions for a size of €500m-€700m for the deal, according to a source with knowledge of the company’s plans.

Estonia's Eesti Energia is looking to print a euro denominated Reg S bond.

Russian mining company Norilsk Nickel is undertaking series of investor update meetings in early September.

The governments of Indonesia and Russia both signalled earlier this week that they are considering issuing renminbi denominated bonds. If the plans go ahead, these will be the third and fourth RMB deals from a foreign sovereign after the UK and Mongolia governments. However, FX volatility means now is not the best time to pull off a RMB deal.

Ukraine debt has rocketed in value on the understanding that the country's Ministry of Finance has reached an agreement with its ad hoc creditor committee, settling on a 20% haircut on $18bn of debt.

Ukraine debt has rocketed in value on the understanding that the country's Ministry of Finance has reached an agreement with its ad hoc creditor committee, settling on a 20% haircut on $18bn of debt.

The recent stock market fall may help smooth talks with Ukraine’s creditors, according to an analyst in Kiev.