Middle East

Less than a week after Turkey made a long desired increase in interest rates hike, the sovereign has returned to the bond market for a last gasp bond deal before the market starts to run down for the year. The situation is giving market insiders confidence that Turkey is returning to orthodox policy making.

Oman, one of only two sub-investment grade sovereign credits in the Gulf region, tapped two of its dollar bonds for $500m this week as it seeks to shore up state finances.

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The Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey delivered a much anticipated interest rate hike on Thursday, fulfilling market watchers' hopes that the country will reform its way to economic recovery. A trip to the primary bond market for the sovereign could be imminent.

The world's largest oil company, Saudi Aramco, on Tuesday raised an $8bn multi-tranche bond, featuring a rare 50 year piece, in only its second entry into debt capital markets. Proceeds from the deal will help it to generate enough cash to fund a dividend of $75bn as oil prices remain under pressure.

Qatar National Bank, by assets the largest bank in the Middle East and North Africa, has raised a dual tranche $3.5bn syndicated loan, one of the largest emerging market loans signed this year.

A flurry of Gulf issuers was on track on Tuesday to securing last minute bond funding, as investor appetite appeared insatiable for emerging market debt amid a rally that may well be curtailed by the impending US Thanksgiving holiday.

Saudi Aramco, which made its debut in bond markets last year, has mandated banks to arrange a dollar offering, including a 50 year tranche — a maturity only issued once before by a Gulf borrower. According to market players, this is an opportunistic move to grab cash before year-end taking advantage of yield-hungry investors.

Turkey could be on track for one of the most remarkable emerging market recoveries of the year, after a shake-up of top officials signalled a return to orthodox monetary policy, inspiring confidence among investors. With the lira starting to recover from record lows, bond market insiders anticipate a new issue before the end of the year. Mariam Meskin reports.

French agency Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations finished its 2020 syndicated funding programme with a visit to the Swiss market this week, printing an extremely tight deal through the high quality domestic covered bond curve.

İşbank, Turkey's largest private bank by assets, has raised a dual tranche syndicated loan, with margins that were priced "fairly" considering the country's credit risk and general market conditions, according to bankers.

Emerging market issuers have crept back into the small issuance window in international markets after a brief pause for the US elections, with Dubai Islamic Bank and Uzbekistan’s Ipoteka Bank issuing dollar-denominated bonds this week.