Chile

Chile, Peru and Colombia — previously hailed by EM investors for orthodox economic policymaking — are under pressure amid social unrest and political polarisation. But as the upheaval whirls around them, their credit in the bank with bondholders, after years of impressive debt management, is a major asset.

After Chileans chose the delegates who will draft a new constitution, bond market participants appeared to be taken aback by the centre-right government’s poor performance. Chilean assets across the board slumped, with local rates hit harder than hard currency bonds.

Banco Santander Chile has promoted from within to replace its departing head of corporate and investment banking (CIB).

Chile raised $2bn in dollar markets on its fourth international bond market outing of the year on Tuesday, achieving slim new issue concessions even as volatility in domestic markets is leading the sovereign to lean more heavily on external funding sources.

The Republic of Chile, until recently a rare issuer in international bond markets, sold its fourth cross-border bond of 2021 on Tuesday, becoming the fourth Latin America sovereign of the year to take advantage of a more liquid 20 year US Treasury to price a benchmark at that maturity.

Chilean miner CAP and Mexican car parts supplier Metalsa on Thursday became the latest in a string of Latin American companies to price dollar bonds not only at the tight end of guidance, but inside the indicated range, as bankers say investors are being coy with bookrunners about their pricing expectations.

Latin American oil and gas company GeoPark priced a reopening of its 2027 bonds with a negative new issue concession on Tuesday, taking advantage of strong demand from holders of its old notes to raise $150m.

Scotiabank has hired a new head of syndication in New York, GlobalCapital understands.

Latin American oil and gas company GeoPark will hold investor calls until Monday next week as it prepares to reopen a 2027 bond sold last year in order to partially finance a tender offer for up to $255m of its of $425m of 6.5% 2024s.

Chilean car seller Automotores Gildemeister is seeking bondholder permission for a restructuring that would see senior secured creditors receive all the company’s equity and a combination of secured and unsecured bonds. Unsecured bondholders — who will be offered a far more meagre recovery — have hired legal advisors.

Latin American oil and gas company GeoPark may return to bond markets in the near future as it looks to finance a tender offer for up to $255m of its $425m of 6.5% senior unsecured 2024s.

Automotores Gildemeister, the distributor of Hyundai cars in Chile and other South American countries, is set to file for bankruptcy with the support of its bondholders after missing a coupon payment on its $510m senior secured 7.5% 2025s on April 1. The process is set to reduce the company’s debt by $200m, said the issuer