Turkish lira

Turkish bond prices remain unmoved as investors sit pat on latest rates indications

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Turkey was, yet again, at the fore of market participants’ minds on Tuesday. As inflation spikes, the country has indicated its intention to encourage more borrowing following a debt issuance spree in June.

Turkey, Cameroon and Latvia all entered international bond markets on Wednesday. Investors said the sovereigns are rushing to secure funding while conditions are still positive, amid the anticipation of rate rises.

Anadolu Efes Biracılık ve Malt Sanayii, the Turkish brewer, is seeking to issue a new dollar bond as it tenders for existing debt in the currency, just days after the Turkish sovereign reappeared in the debt capital markets.

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The Republic of Turkey demonstrated its access to international markets this week with a four times oversubscribed sukuk. But the deal does not represent an access-all-areas pass to the capital markets for the borrower, following a turbulent period that has seen little change to appease investors, writes Mariam Meskin.

Turkey launched a June 2026 dollar sukuk on Tuesday, which some market participants believe is set to come "cheap" as the sovereign looks to extend its curve in the asset class.

Yapi Kredi Bank and Garanti Bank this week became the latest Turkish banks to refinance syndicated loans, in the process raising ESG-linked facilities. The trend towards ESG-linked financing is not driven by the desire to cut costs, which for many has been only symbolic, but by a desire to help boost borrowers’ credentials and to make life easier for international lenders.

LimakPort, the Turkish international port, entered the debt market on Tuesday, while Turk Eximbank has successfully secured a dollar syndicated loan facility. Turkish issuers are demonstrating resilience, market participants say, amid the heightened levels of domestic and political volatility in the last three months.

A campaign by a political opposition party questioning the deployment of Turkey’s FX reserves and a snub from the United States has put new pressure on the country’s bonds.

Turkish lender Akbank has managed to roll over a syndicated loan, which also marks its debut piece of ESG financing. However, pricing widened beyond expectations owing to heightened volatility in both domestic and international markets.

An imminent bond issue from Turkey is looking unlikely, investors say, after the abrupt sacking on Saturday of Naci Ağbal, governor of the central bank, just a day after he had raised interest rates by 200bp. Both hard and local currency bonds have sold off and market participants fear a balance of payments crisis.

Turkish lender Akbank is in the syndicated loan market with its debut ESG deal, according to sources. The bank has been able to tighten pricing on the refinancing, meaning that it has enough competitively priced funding for it not to need to come to the bond market.

A sustained revival of confidence in Turkish markets has caused the lira and other metrics to improve in recent days. That, market participants said, has strengthened the country's standing in international debt markets to the point where it could consider a long dated new issue, though concerns around rising US rates are simmering away in the background.

The Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey delivered a much anticipated interest rate hike on Thursday, fulfilling market watchers' hopes that the country will reform its way to economic recovery. A trip to the primary bond market for the sovereign could be imminent.

The Turkish lira fell to record lows against the dollar this week as investors lamented the central bank’s failure to raise interest rates amid high inflation and expressed concerns over the country’s relationship with the US.

A tumultuous week in Turkish currency markets ended with the lira hitting new lows against the dollar and the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey finally taking action to try and calm volatility. Amid such swings, a sovereign bond issue looks unlikely.

Turkey continued to teeter on the brink of a currency crisis this week, as the lira went on another rollercoaster ride and touched a record low.

Falls in the Turkish lira have reignited concerns about a currency crisis this week, with the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey’s (CBRT) unorthodox exchange rate policy raising questions from investors about the robustness of the country’s respected banking sector. Mariam Meskin and Ross Lancaster report.

Turkey has stood out among emerging market countries for its rapid-fire approach to monetary policy, as it attempts to turbo-charge growth amid the coronavirus pandemic. But with sustained downward pressure on the lira, few foreign investors are willing to buy in. The crisis is also causing a hedging conundrum.

Backed by a resilient and toughened banking system, Turkish debt could be one of the most rewarding investments in loan and bond format alike. As the country recovers from the currency crisis of August 2018, it is high time for those still standing on the platform to board the Turkish train.

Vakifbank has sold the first ever domestically placed AT1, raising TL5bn ($828.5m) with a perpetual non call five year private placement. An investor away from the deal said it was bought by a single, government linked investor.

Some investors are betting that the Turkish lira’s plunge against the dollar has gone too far, with several taking positions that the currency will improve by buying MTNs from triple-A rated SSAs.

Some investors are betting that the Turkish lira’s plunge against the dollar has gone too far, with several taking positions that the currency will improve by buying MTNs from triple-A rated SSAs.

The recovery of Turkish asset prices this week is less the result of prudent monetary policy — though that certainly helped — and more a lesson in the benefits of the personal touch and that markets are, ultimately, populated by humans.

Turkish dollar bonds outperformed in a heavy market this week after the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) moved to simplify rates in order to protect the lira. The recovery of the lira to below TL4.5 to the dollar has been taken by the market to indicate that last week’s rate hike was a success.

Turkey’s Central Bank is fighting a losing battle, after its latest bid to protect its currency failed to prompt the support from investors that it hoped for. The move brought the CBRT closer into line with international standards, but could soon be irrelevant after elections on June 24.

Demand for supranational and agency paper in Turkish lira is proving strong despite political tensions in the area.