Zambia
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Lack of progress on debt restructuring has been scaring investors away from EM bonds
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Bondholders take bigger upfront haircut in return for more lucrative VRI some say will punish Zambia
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Many of the region’s states that have market access feel little need to issue new bonds
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Official creditors do not believe a deal with bondholders ensures comparability of treatment
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Questions linger over state contingent debt instrument used to bring sides together but agreement brings saga closer to end
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Creditors will also be looking to claw back what Zambia owes on its Eurobonds
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The bills have the potential to do damage to both New York and sovereigns themselves, say sources, while others urge change
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Ghana has learned the lessons of Zambia's debt restructuring
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There would still be hurdles and an agreement may even make defaults more likely
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Chinese creditors have demanded an end to the status enjoyed by multilateral lenders
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First restructuring under common framework could set an important precedent
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Support from Chinese creditors was a big step forward in a process which has been conducted at a glacial pace
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China's support means a deal could be agreed by year-end
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Restructuring of emerging market debt is back on the agenda this week, as defaulted Zambia’s election saw ‘market friendly’ Hakainde Hichilema secure the country’s presidency. The nature of its forthcoming Eurobond restructuring, which some say could act as a benchmark for other emerging market sovereigns, is expected to become clear within weeks
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Hichilema victory surprises bond investors with new government expected to be more market friendly
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Ethiopia has been hit with another downgrade by Moody’s, as a lack of clarity over its request to use the G20 Common Framework for debt restructuring clouds its market prospects. The outlook for sub-Saharan African financing remains rocky, as criticisms linger over the funding on offer.
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The IMF and Zambia have reached a "broad agreement" on a reform agenda for Africa’s first sovereign defaulter of the pandemic era. That will serve as a prelude to securing a new credit facility from the Fund and pleased investors, who noted that Zambia's bonds have made gains in recent weeks.
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The announcement this week that the IMF is on its way to issuing a further $650bn of special drawing rights, providing central banks with extra foreign currency liquidity, should not be criticised for being too little, too late. It marks a much needed return to multilateralism, something that the developing world will benefit from.
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Zambia and the IMF will resume negotiations on an extended credit facility package, having missed the first deadline.
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The IMF and Zambia will continue their negotiations about a package to put the country on a path to financial stability, the Fund said on Thursday, after the deadline for initial talks had passed the day before with no deal agreed. But market participants are still demanding more transparency over the defaulted sovereign's external debts.
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The Ivory Coast sought to raise some extra euro cash by tapping bonds in euros on Monday but, with two African sovereigns requesting debt restructuring support from the G20 over the last week, some market participants have begun to question the continent's borrowers.
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Zambia, which months ago became Africa’s first sovereign default since the pandemic started, has requested debt treatment under the G20’s Common Framework. That makes it the third African sovereign to request restructuring support under the guidelines, which were first announced in November.
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Zambia has become Africa’s first sovereign to default since the coronavirus started, after it failed to make payments on its Eurobonds. The heavily indebted country now faces a rocky path to debt restructuring, market sources said.
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Zambia is headed for a default next week, as GlobalCapital understands the bondholder committee responsible for 40% of the sovereign Eurobonds will reject the deferral request in a vote next week.
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Zambia, which is asking to defer upcoming coupon payments as it seeks to restructure its debt, laid out a time frame for discussions with bondholders this week. But investors were disappointed with the lack of clarity and detail from an investor call with finance minister Bwalya N’gandu this week.
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Zambia’s request to defer payment on $3bn of its Eurobonds is the first potential default by an African government during the coronavirus crisis. The process has been poorly managed, say sources close to the matter, throwing into doubt Zambia's chances of winning leniency, the vital first step to avoiding a messy hard default. Mariam Meskin reports.
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Zambia has requested to defer payments on $3bn of its dollar Eurobonds, in what could be the first default by an African sovereign during the coronavirus crisis. Bondholders said they were resigning themselves to accepting the deferral request.
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Political interference in central bank business is rarely a smart move, especially for emerging market countries trying to win the respect of international markets. But it’s an even more reckless endeavour in the midst of a global crisis, especially for a debt-ridden country like Zambia.
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International bondholders have formed a specialist committee to conduct negotiations with Zambia after the country announced a liability management exercise to control its debt.
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With emerging markets across the globe facing an overwhelming liquidity squeeze, the IMF said on Thursday that it would “look for solutions that can unlock critical financing” in countries where the unsustainability of debt prevented the fund from lending, potentially increasing funding options for the most stressed of countries.
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Thirteen emerging market sovereigns will face their first bond market redemptions over the next seven years and, with financing conditions set to become more difficult, market participants are watching them carefully.
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The party looks to be over in emerging market bonds leaving borrowers with one heck of a funding hangover. Years of low rates have prompted a debt splurge from borrowers able to fund at ever lower coupons. But just as dollar rates are on the increase, those credits are racing towards a $2tr maturity wall and the problem of how to refinance it in a market that has presented clear symptoms of risk fatigue this year shows no sign of abating. Lewis McLellan and Francesca Young report.
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Zambia is looking for options to refinance an increasingly worrying debt pile in the wake of a ratings downgrade.
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First Quantum Minerals raised $2.2bn for refinancing purposes on Thursday, in what was said to be the biggest corporate high yield bond issue from the CEEMEA region ever - though it was the same size as a VimpelCom deal in 2011.
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The usage of renminbi in Africa has long been talked up given China’s status as the continent’s largest trading partner. Developments over the past couple of years have been slow, however, though there are now signs of activity with several African nations visiting Hong Kong in November to learn more about RMB reserves management.
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The Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO) sold a ZK104m ($10.3m) five year note to a single investor on Monday.