Latin America

Continued strong inflows into emerging markets debt funds are encouraging riskier Latin American companies to turn to debt markets for funding — even as political risks weigh heavily on the outlook for certain credits. While some buyers think they are picking up rare bargains, others are concerned that they’re becoming overexposed to the region.

Chile’s head of international finance told GlobalCapital this week that the country was likely to tap euro and dollar bond markets again this year after it increased its 2021 funding needs by $8bn.

Frigorífico Concepción, the Paraguay beef exporter, sold its largest and tightest ever bond on Wednesday as it looked to continue its rapid expansion.

Interchile, the Chilean electricity transmission company owned by Colombian government-controlled conglomerate ISA, began investor calls on Tuesday ahead of a potential green bond issue.

LatAm bond buyers said that MC Brazil Downstream Trading’s debut bond issue on Tuesday had offered a rare chance to pick up yield in large size, as the company’s $1.8bn 10 year was spotted a point and a half higher in the grey market after pricing.

Fibra Soma, a recently created Mexican real estate investment trust (Reit), began meeting fixed income investors on Monday ahead of what would be an inaugural international bond deal.

Compañía de Minas Buenaventura will provide a stern test of appetite for Peruvian risk under new leftist president Pedro Castillo this week as it seeks an inaugural bond issue that it will use to repay a tax liability.

Armando Tamez, CEO of Mexican car parts maker Nemak, told GlobalCapital that the company sees “great potential” in sustainability-linked bonds, adding that it would be “natural” for Nemak to continue to consider issuing SLBs in the future.

After Brazilian pulp and paper producer Suzano became the first Latin American company to issue a second sustainability-linked bond, its treasury director told GlobalCapital he expects investors to differentiate more and more between SLB issuers based on the issuer’s ESG credentials.

Mexican car parts maker Nemak sold its second sustainability-linked bond in a month on Wednesday, raising €500m in a deal that bankers said marked the company’s migration from high yield to investment grade covenants — though it has just one IG rating.

MC Brazil Downstream, a vehicle through which UAE sovereign investment fund Mubadala is acquiring a major refinery from Brazil oil giant Petrobras, is planning to sell $1.8bn of 10 year senior secured notes, according to rating agency reports.

Brazilian meatpacking company Minerva returned to debt markets on Tuesday with a $400m tap of a 10 year bond first issued amid turbulent markets in March. The tap was more easily digested, coming at a calmer moment.