Middle East
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Commercial Bank of Qatar kicked off the second quarter with its first Swiss deal of the year. It was joined by New York Life, which raised Sfr475m as it benefited from its two triple-A ratings. -
Market participants are bracing themselves for the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey’s monetary policy meeting next week, which they hope will result in interest rates being held. Though market access for the sovereign remains difficult, markets are showing some signs of stabilisation.
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Professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal has hired a seasoned advisor to bolster its Middle East advisory team, as it seeks to be an integral part of the region's diversification transformation.
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Gulf corporates Ooredoo, Nogaholding and Arabian Centres sprung into the bond market this week, defying revived market volatility to raise dollar funding. The string of corporate issuance follows a similar streak from the region’s FIG issuers last week.
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Volatility in the US Treasury market has been the thorn in emerging market bond issuers' sides this quarter. Though bankers had expected borrowers front-load issuance, concerns about global interest rates and investor appetite have dulled volumes.
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Qatari telecommunications company Ooredoo started investor calls on Monday for a conventional dollar bond after a five year hiatus from the market.
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Confidence in Turkish assets hit fresh lows this week as investors struggled to digest a fresh wave of volatility after its central bank governor was sacked following an interest rate hike. With government and bank funding needs to be met in the international market, the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey has a big job on its hands in regaining investor confidence — though some say the damage has already been done.
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The Saudi-headquartered Islamic Development Bank is set to sell a dollar bond on Wednesday, having launched the deal on Tuesday. The sustainability sukuk is one of two FIG deals from the Gulf region this week, as Kuwait’s Boubyan Bank also entered the market for a dollar sukuk.
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As emerging market IPOs continue to draw investors into countries many have never invested before, Turkey remains an obvious absentee. The country could be an EM equity giant but political decisions by its government continue to hinder Turkish businesses.
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The shock sacking of Turkey’s third central bank governor in two years confirms to investors that the country lives in a world of its own — one in which central bank independence and fiscal prudence come second to the ideologies of the leader.
