Loans and High Yield

Dollar bond sales from India have seen a last minute pick-up before the year-end, with three firms pricing their deals in the past week. Indian companies, like the rest of the region, faced hurdles in accessing offshore funding this year, but bankers are optimistic about 2021. Morgan Davis reports.

Nick Jansa, former co-head of corporate finance EMEA and co-head of leveraged debt capital markets at Deutsche Bank, is joining Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board as senior managing director in EMEA, running investment activities and portfolio management in the region.

Patrick Drahi has raised his offer to take Altice Europe private, responding to legal challenges by hedge funds including Lucerne Capital Management. The revised bid increases the company’s valuation by almost €1bn, and translates to paying minority shareholders an extra €700m — meaning yet more debt piled on one of Europe’s largest levfin issuers, which has more than €30bn outstanding already.

Travelodge privately placed £65m of 9% four year bonds at 96, according to a statement from the issuer, following Lowell’s similar decision to tap into a firm market ahead of year-end. Shareholders Avenue Capital and GoldenTree are experienced distressed investors, actively seeking other companies wanting to raise cash at double-digit yields, but have opted for third-party money this time.

Shandong Ruyi Technology Group Co’s dollar bonds fell to a new low this week after it defaulted on two onshore trades, adding to a spate of missed payments from Chinese companies recently.

Gaming company Wynn Macau benefitted from a revival in sentiment around the casino industry for its bond return on Tuesday. It raised $750m from a tap of its 5.625% 2028 notes.

Europe’s corporate bond investors are starting to make bets that industries battered by the coronavirus pandemic and crossover-rated names are going to be the performers of 2021, even though speculative grade defaults reached a post-global financial crisis high in November.

House of HR is marketing a subordinated bond to pay for recent acquisitions and to give the Naxicap portfolio company a war chest to fund campaigns to win other bid targets. High unemployment across the human resources consultancy’s major markets has hurt it, but it claims to be in a good position for a recovery.

Credit Suisse's investment bank is well placed for where the market is heading after the coronavirus pandemic, it said on Tuesday at an investor day. Its new global trading solutions (GTS) business unit may be key to future revenue streams.

Adani International Container Terminal Private (AICTPL), part of India's Adani Group, sold its inaugural dollar bond on Monday. It raised $300m after receiving orders worth $2.85bn.

Engineering equipment group Dürr has raised its third ESG-linked Schuldschein, raising €200m towards the redemption of its €300m 2.875% April 2021 bond. The company opted for the private market alternative, after pulling a contemplated €250m bond issue in early October.

Britishvolt, a start-up UK battery technology company, is looking at a range of funding options for a £2.6bn battery gigaplant site in the UK. A company spokesperson said that bank lending would make up just part of the financing.