Latin America

Central American sovereign Honduras marked a new milestone for EM bond markets in the coronavirus era this week as it became the lowest-rated issuer from Latin America to issue during the crisis. Oliver West reports.

The possibility of Argentina’s debt negotiations ending up in court drew closer on Wednesday night, as the positions of the largest group of bondholders and the government appeared to be irreconcilable.

Nexa Resources, the mining arm of Brazilian conglomerate Votorantim, issued $500m of 10 year bonds on Monday, offering a healthy concession to its existing curve and seeing its new bond catch a broader rally on the break.

Central American sovereign Honduras found strong demand on its return to bond markets as investors and analysts said the issue ticked all the boxes for a yield-hungry investor base.

The government of Belize will launch a consent solicitation in early July asking bondholders to agree to delay all interest payments due before February, it said on Wednesday. With a general election due in November, this would effectively leave the next government to decide whether further debt negotiations are required.

As sovereigns and corporates from all corners of the word suffer rating downgrades at an alarming rate, Brazilian meatpacker JBS bucked the trend on Tuesday as Fitch upgraded the borrower to BB+, just one notch away from investment grade status.

Honduras is planning to price a new 10-year bond on Wednesday after tightening guidance significantly as EM debt caught the US Federal Reserve-driven rally in fixed income markets.

Nexa Resources, the mining arm of Brazilian conglomerate Votorantim, overcame a soft start to the week in international markets to raise $500m on Monday, with investors saying the company had offered a generous pick-up to its existing notes.

Generals, and financial regulators, are always fighting the last war. So it proved when the coronavirus slammed into international markets in mid-March. Many of the tools developed in the 2008 financial crisis were deployed to great effect by central banks. The corners of the financial markets that propagated weakness in 2008 passed the test of 2020. But new risks were thrown up, forcing a new round of improvisation. What lessons will be drawn from the Covid-19 crisis?

Bond investors say that Honduras’s established relationship with the IMF should leave it in good stead as it looks to become the lowest rated borrower from Latin America to issue in the coronavirus era.

Peru’s largest financial group, Credicorp, tapped international bond markets for $500m on Wednesday, becoming the first debut issuer from Latin America since the Covid-19 crisis began.

Bond investors and analysts expect Argentina to extend Friday’s restructuring deadline yet again amid continued promising signs that a deal is near, but some warn it is wrong to assume an agreement is a foregone conclusion.