Turkey

Vakifbank is taking orders for a five year dollar bond — its first benchmark deal in more than a year.

Vakifbank will be the next borrower to join the growing list of Turkish credits returning to the bond market after the nation’s currency crisis in 2018.

The Republic of Turkey is returning to the bond markets for the fourth time this year with a dollar tap of the $2bn 7.625% 2029s it sold in January, continuing to front load for its $8bn 2019 funding target.

Garanti Bank, Turk Eximbank and Ziraat Bank have begun refinancing one year loans, according to two loans bankers. Pricing is said to be in line with Akbank, which launched a refinancing in early February.

Turkey’s economy contracted sharply in the last quarter of 2018, bringing the economy into a formal recession. But investors remain happy to pile into Turkish paper.

Two Turkish borrowers hit the market on Thursday, following in the wake of a Koç Holding trade earlier in the week and making it Turkey’s busiest week for deals in almost three years.

Two Turkish borrowers hit the market on Thursday, one returning to the market after a six year hiatus. Coming in the wake of a Koc Holding deal this week, the three deals make this Turkey’s busiest week for deals in almost three years.

Koç Holding opened books for a six year dollar benchmark, returning to the bond market for the first time in three years. While market participants said that initial price thoughts looked generous, they expected the spread to be tightened aggressively before pricing.

Two Turkish issuers were back on screens this week as the country continues its rehabilitation in the capital markets. QNB Finansbank printed with a 10bp new issue premium, according to one lead manager, a level which he said shows how far Turkey has come since the sovereign paid up 50bp for its post-volatility return to market trade in October.

Koç Holding, Turkey's largest holding company, has mandated three banks for a five or seven year dollar RegS/144A benchmark. An investor has said that given recent Turkey volatility, he would want to see a much larger premium over the Turkey curve for the longer of those two options.

QNB Finansbank has revised initial price thoughts for its benchmark dollar 5.5 year bond, with books for the deal over $1.4bn. Both an investor and a syndicate official had said earlier in the day they expected tighter pricing.

Turkish lender QNB Finansbank has mandated six banks to arrange a dollar 5.5 year Reg S/144A benchmark senior bond, the first senior bond from a Turkish bank since March.