Latin America

Some Latin American DCM bankers think the year is over for new issuance, and several are indeed wishing it already were. Although much of what put the brakes on in Lat Am this year will continue to affect the market in 2019, bond bankers should find reasons to believe January will be better.

The two A-rated new issues shown to Lat Am bond buyers last week both traded well on Friday, but it was a different story for the bulk of the region as bankers have little hope of deals during the Thanksgiving week.

A strong bond market return from Bermuda on Thursday did little to cheer Latin America DCM bankers about prospects for the rest of the year as Brazilian paper company Klabin became the latest company from the region to wait after completing investor meetings.

Latin American DCM bankers say that continued debt buy-backs by Brazilian companies are creating strong technicals that should put the market in good stead for next year.

South American development bank Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF) sold its first public dollar deal in a year on Thursday, raising $750m despite tough market conditions.

Colombo-Canadian oil and gas company Frontera Energy’s attempt to grant itself the power to make larger payments to shareholders is an aggressive move, said bankers as Fitch highlighted it would be a credit negative.

Bond market analysts say that the external financing required by Ecuador’s budget for 2019 will be a tough ask given existing market conditions, as the sovereign’s bonds slump amid a fall in oil prices.

South American development bank Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF) is due to price to a first public dollar deal in a year on Thursday, having set price talk on Wednesday.

MetLife, the US insurance company, has made an unusual investment as part of its impact investment portfolio, which has about $200m of assets. It is providing a revolving credit facility to an impact investment fund, to enable it to cope more easily with redemptions.

Colombo-Canadian oil and gas company Frontera Energy’s attempt to grant itself the power to make larger payments to shareholders is an aggressive move, said bankers as Fitch highlighted it would be a credit negative.

Just over 100 days since Ivan Duque took office as Colombia’s president, the South American country has appointed a new head of public credit and national treasury.

Frontera Energy Corporation, the Canada-listed Colombian oil and gas company, is asking bondholders permission to make payments otherwise forbidden by the terms of its outstanding debt.