Peru

Peruvian power generation company Orazul has launched a tender offer for a portion of its 2027 bonds and will use proceeds from last year’s sale of its transmission businesses to fund the liability management. Fitch had anticipated the prepayment of the notes back in August 2020, when it placed Orazul’s credit rating on positive watch.

Moody’s has placed Peruvian miner Compañía de Minas Buenaventura’s B1 rating on review for downgrade, just as the company prepares a debut bond issue to repay a tax liability that has sharply increased its debt.

Latin American bond bankers expect several new deals to be announced after the May 31 Memorial Day holiday in the US, as borrowers look to get ahead of potential noise regarding the Federal Reserve tapering its policy stimulus. But investors appeared ambivalent this week about the prospect of a wave of new supply.

Chile, Peru and Colombia — previously hailed by EM investors for orthodox economic policymaking — are under pressure amid social unrest and political polarisation. But as the upheaval whirls around them, their credit in the bank with bondholders, after years of impressive debt management, is a major asset.

A majority of shareholders of Peruvian mining company Compañía de Minas Buenaventura have approved a motion to allow the company to sell up to $550m of bonds as it looks to finance a retroactive tax liability.

Political volatility continues to take its toll on the credit ratings of Latin America’s strongest sovereigns, with Peru the latest to suffer a negative outlook as Moody’s predicted the next government will likely face a continuation of the political gridlock that has hampered economic activity over the last four years.

Peruvian mining company Minsur, which will shortly begin operations at a copper project that almost triples its previous size, has signed a loan with two international banks to finance a buy-back of old bonds. The liability management exercise comes as the leading candidate in Peru’s presidential elections said he wanted to raise taxes and royalties on the mining sector, and nationalise the country’s wealth.

Peruvian bonds barely moved this week after a shock in the first round of the country’s presidential elections on April 11, while Ecuador debt reacted spectacularly to a positive electoral surprise on the same day. Yet there are concerns about complacency towards risks in Peru, where a left-wing radical took most first-round votes, and Latin American bond buyers should brace for more volatility as the region faces an exceptionally busy election cycle.

Andean Telecom Partners (ATP), a digital infrastructure provider operating in the Andean region of South America, has begun investor calls ahead of what would be its inaugural bond issue.

Peru’s largest lender, Banco de Crédito del Perú, offered a slim new issue concession on Tuesday as it sold $500m of tier two bonds, with bankers saying that liquidity dynamics remained favourable for Latin American issuers.

Banco de Crédito del Perú (BCP), Peru’s largest lender, scheduled investor calls beginning Monday morning ahead of a proposed 10.5 year non-call 5.5 tier two bond that will be used to refinance existing bonds.

LatAm bankers and investors say a strong issuance window for non-Brazilian credits has opened, as political and fiscal concerns take their toll in Latin America’s largest economy.