AES' bank debt started getting increased looks from traders last week as negative earnings announcements hit the market. Interest in the name was high, but only $10 million moved in the 90-92 range, down from 94, according to dealers. Merrill Lynch is rumored to be one of the sellers. The buyer of the paper could not be identified, but institutional players such as Stanfield, Fidelity, American Express, Duke Capital and some CDOs are said to be among the buyers of some $50 million that has traded over the last month, said a dealer. Union Bank of California is lead agent on the deal and believed to be one of the banks holding onto the credit. A dealer at Union Bank said that despite its placement in a bad sector and current accounting fears, AES is still a sound name.
The bond levels have also softened. The company's bonds are down to 88 off par on announcements of lower than expected earnings, increasing demands for financial reporting, and the revelation of potential trouble with Argentine investments. Two weeks ago, $12.5 million of the AES term loan traded at 92. The general sentiment among traders is that AES is a solid name getting swept up in speculation fervor. Officials at AES could not be reached by press time.