Latin America

Argentina’s largest province will begin investor meetings on Friday ahead of a planned euro-denominated bond sale, according to DCM bankers close to the deal.

Argentine electricity utility Transener (Compañía de Transporte de Energía Eléctrica en Alta Tensión) has approved a bond of up to $500m, according to a regulatory filing on Tuesday.

One of Argentina’s strongest corporate bond issuers, Cablevision, signed a preliminary agreement to merge with rival Telecom Argentina over the weekend, and one analyst said it could lead to issuance in the cross-border bond markets.

Bond investors showed they had no trouble taking on Mexican risk last week, and microfinance lender Financiera Independencia (Findep) could be the next borrower from the country to take advantage of friendly funding conditions.

Some syndicate bankers saw Banorte’s debut additional tier one (AT1) bond as tight to comps, but investors piled into the deal on Thursday claiming that the Mexican lender was offering greater value than Banco do Brasil’s bond with a similar structure.

Argentina’s second most populated province raised $450m in international bond markets on Thursday in a deal that bankers away from the trade viewed as coming tighter than expectations.

Mexican conglomerate Grupo Kuo sold $450m of 10 year non-call five notes on Thursday in its first international bond sale in five years, as bankers praised the issuer for its timing.

Argentine energy holding company Pampa Energía said on Thursday that it was delaying a planned peso-linked bond sale, as Lat Am DCM bankers said that caution was the most sensible path for the borrower.

Argentina’s largest private energy company Pampa Energía wrapped up investor meetings with a lunch in New York on Wednesday but is yet to issue initial price thoughts on a planned fixed rate peso-linked international bond.

Mexico’s third largest lender Banorte will price its first ever Basel III-compliant additional tier one capital bond on Thursday after releasing initial price thoughts on Wednesday.

French lender Crédit Agricole has hired Italo Lombardi from Standard Chartered as its Latin America economist and strategist.

Argentine energy holding company Pampa Energía is planning to sell its peso-linked international bond on Wednesday, according to a filing with the local regulator.