South America

UBS has hired an experienced DCM banker from a bulge bracket house to lead its Latin American bond efforts as the Swiss bank enjoys its highest league table position in the region for nearly a decade.

Brazilian low cost airline Gol has finally ceded ground to bondholders in its debt restructuring negotiations, sweetening their incentives to participate in a deal.

Fitch gave Brazilian telco Oi yet another downgrade on Friday after the company, which has nearly $15bn of debt, revealed that it had not responded to a restructuring proposal from bondholders.

More than three quarters of Brazilian industrial conglomerate Cosan’s bondholders agreed to sell their bonds in the early bird phase of a tender offer.

Argentine province Salta paused bond plans this week because of Brexit uncertainty. Don’t expect it to wait long though: overall, global market pain is Argentina’s gain.

The UK’s possible exit from the European Union is not the only factor to blame for two Latin American borrowers deciding to wait to issue bonds this week, said bankers covering the region.

The decision from the Argentine province of Salta to wait a few days before returning to bond markets this week (see separate story) did nothing to dampen bankers’ enthusiasm for Argentina as three more borrowers joined the new issue pipeline.

Foreign bondholders in Usiminas, the Brazilian steel company, may yet make it out unscathed after the company reach a debt restructuring agreement with its bank lenders and local bondholders.

Petrobras made clear its desire to buy back as much of its 8.375% notes due 2018 as possible on Wednesday after extending final deadline of a tender offer for the notes for a second time.

A confectionary company and the third largest province in Argentina are set to ensure that the country remains the centre of new issue activity in Latin America.

Argentine pulp and paper company Celulosa Argentina has received approval from its board for a second attempt to issue international debt after the company’s CEO told directors that there would be appetite for new bonds thanks to the “new context” in capital markets.

The Argentine province of Salta will meet bond investors this week as it looks to become the latest in a line of sub-sovereigns from the country to offer international bonds.