South America

Colombian lender Banco Davivienda and Central American renewable energy company CMI Energía both priced new issues inside the ranges indicated at guidance on Thursday, as Latin American bond markets took advantage of a strong bid for US Treasuries.

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.

Latin American oil and gas company GeoPark will hold investor calls until Monday next week as it prepares to reopen a 2027 bond sold last year in order to partially finance a tender offer for up to $255m of its of $425m of 6.5% 2024s.

Colombian bank GNB Sudameris sold a Basel III-compliant subordinated tier two bond on Tuesday after two failed attempts in 2020. The issuer, which also has operations in Peru and Paraguay, printed $400m of 10-year non-call five paper but only after having rejigged its bank group after last year’s cancellations.

Banco Davivienda is preparing what would be the first additional tier one (AT1) bond issue from Colombia’s banking sector, with the country’s second largest lender having begun investor calls on Monday ahead of a proposed perpetual non-call 10 year Basel-III compliant AT1.

Colombian bank GNB Sudameris held investor calls on Monday ahead of a proposed Basel III-compliant subordinated note that could be priced as soon as Tuesday. This will be GNB’s third attempt to issue in the past year.

Chilean car seller Automotores Gildemeister is seeking bondholder permission for a restructuring that would see senior secured creditors receive all the company’s equity and a combination of secured and unsecured bonds. Unsecured bondholders — who will be offered a far more meagre recovery — have hired legal advisors.

Mexico’s deputy finance minister Gabriel Yorio told GlobalCapital on Wednesday that a block of Latin American countries was forming to ensure that the plight of middle-income economies was not forgotten as the world looks for ways to alleviate financial pressures on developing countries.

Latin American oil and gas company GeoPark may return to bond markets in the near future as it looks to finance a tender offer for up to $255m of its $425m of 6.5% senior unsecured 2024s.

Automotores Gildemeister, the distributor of Hyundai cars in Chile and other South American countries, is set to file for bankruptcy with the support of its bondholders after missing a coupon payment on its $510m senior secured 7.5% 2025s on April 1. The process is set to reduce the company’s debt by $200m, said the issuer

Empresas CMPC, the Chilean pulp and paper producer, priced a sustainability-linked bond inside its curve on Wednesday, leaving no doubt that Latin American issuers can still garner a material pricing benefit from ESG debt, even as emerging market bonds feel the pressure from US Treasury volatility.