Middle East
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At least three bank issuers across CEEMEA this week sold bonds of all different varieties. Emirates Development Bank, Ecobank Transnational and Ahli United Bank all tapped investors for dollar bonds. -
A brace of sukuk trades from the Gulf this week racked up enormous order books, demonstrating the voracious demand for Sharia-compliant paper. With a hungry investor base, sukuk issuance is expected to grow, despite some "teething problems".
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Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, entered the Sharia-compliant bond market for the first time on Wednesday, with what market participants called a tool for investor diversification. Proceeds from the capital raising are expected to fund Aramco's $75bn dividend.
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First Abu Dhabi Bank debuted its green bond programme in the dim sum market on Monday, selling the first labelled note in this format from a Middle Eastern borrower.
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Emirates Development Bank, which last entered the bond market with its debut in 2019, is one of many FIG borrowers from CEEMEA planning to tap investors this week.
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The Sultanate of Oman launched a dollar sukuk on Tuesday, which investors said would receive strong demand as investors hunt for high yielding Sharia-compliant paper.
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Ecobank Transnational is planning to debut in the sustainability bond market as Kuwait's Ahli United Bank prepares to enter the market for a sukuk. Emerging market issuers are continuing to flood the market amid concerns from some about the Federal Reserve tapering its asset purchase programme.
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The Sultanate of Oman, one of only two sub-investment grade credits in the Gulf, is set to sell a sukuk. The government is seeking the dollar-denominated debt months after it last entered both the bond and syndicated loan markets to bolster its financial capacity.
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Turkey’s credit metrics took another hit this week after contradictory statements on interest rates from president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and central bank governor Şahap Kavcıoğlu. Market participants said the environment for foreign investors is rocky, and any new sovereign Eurobond would have to offer a "big premium".
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Equity capital markets participants are predicting the return of exchangeable bonds as a way for large corporates to sell crossholdings or subsidiaries to raise funds without offering the big discounts to investors that come with a block trade. Two deals this week highlighted the importance of the product, a €538m deal by French utility Engie, selling shares in Gaztransport Et Technigaz (GTT) and bonds exchangeable into its shares, and a $1.64bn financing package sold by Adnoc, selling shares and exchangeable bonds in subsidiary Adnoc Distribution.
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Mamoura Diversified Global Holding sold a dual tranche dollar bond featuring a Formosa tranche on Thursday. Formosa bonds have been gaining traction among Middle East issuers as they seek to tap into Asian investor demand.
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