South America

Brazilian oil giant Petrobras appeared to have timed its return to bond markets to perfection on Monday, but an underwhelming secondary market performance left some investors disappointed.

Argentine finance minister Luis Caputo said that Argentina would issue two further international bonds in 2017 although it will likely avoid the dollar market, where it has raised over $9.5bn of funding so far this year.

Mexican cement company Cemex and Chilean electricity name Colbún both launched tender offers of existing bonds this week, planning to buy back old notes with cash.

A strong aftermarket performance by the latest debut international bond from an Argentine province should encourage more local governments to follow suit.

Brazilian state oil giant Petrobras returned to bond markets on Monday with a liability management driven trade that bankers say should hit $6bn at least once a concurrent exchange offer is completed. But the deal traded down in the grey market — to the surprise of many.

Venezuela replaces the dollar with the renminbi as the quoting currency for its oil exports, the People’s Bank of China says bankers are confident about the Chinese economy, and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect sets a new record in turnover volume.

Latin American oil and gas company GeoPark sold $425m of seven year non-call four notes last week, with the first leg of a concurrent tender offer due to expire on Tuesday.

More than 65% of the holders of Brazilian mining giant Vale’s 4.625% 2020s agreed to sell their bonds before last week’s early-bird tender deadline.

After Uruguay’s success last week, pan-EM mobile and cable company Millicom raised hopes on Monday that more local currency supply would be on the way.

Uruguay’s head of sovereign debt management said that the sovereign was committed to developing its global nominal peso-denominated bond curve in an interview with GlobalCapital about the country’s latest local currency issue last week.

Argentina’s most north-western province raised $210m of green bonds due in 2022 on Wednesday, as bankers say activity is ready to recommence in earnest.

Peruvian electricity generator Fenix Power Perú, which is operated by well-known Chilean firm and bond issuer Colbún, sold its first ever international bond in a busy day for Lat Am markets on Wednesday.