By Susanne Walker and Paul Dobson - Jul 23, 2010
Treasury two-year note yields were near a record low for a fourth day on speculation stress tests of European lenders won’t prove they’re strong enough to weather a government default.
Ten-year yields fell from a one-week high after a draft document said the 91 banks being stress-tested were only examined on European sovereign debt losses for the bonds they trade, rather than those they hold to maturity.
“There’s a lot of concern about these stress tests -- no one in the U.S. knows what to expect,” said Ray Remy, head of fixed income in New York at Daiwa Securities Group Inc., one of 18 primary dealers that trade with the Federal Reserve. “If they are only going to measure the losses only to traded bond portfolios, then that’s not what everyone thought was going to be measured.”
The two-year note yielded 0.57 percent 10:37 a.m. in New York, according to BGCantor Market Data, after earlier dropping to a record 0.5516 percent. The 0.625 percent security due June 2012 traded little changed at 100 3/32.
The 10-year note yielded 2.95 percent after earlier rising to 3 percent, the highest level since July 16. It touched 2.85 percent on July 21, the lowest level since April 2009.
Treasuries fell earlier as signs the economic recovery is gathering steam in Europe curbed demand for the safest fixed- income assets.
British GDP
U.K. GDP rose 1.1 percent in the three months through June after increasing 0.3 percent in the previous quarter, the Office for National Statistics said. Economists forecast a 0.6 percent gain, according to the median of 32 predictions in a Bloomberg news survey.
The Ifo institute said its German business climate index jumped to 106.2, the highest since July 2007, from 101.8 in June, the biggest monthly increase since records for a reunified Germany began in 1990.
While U.S. economic reports over the past month were weaker than some analysts projected, 10-year notes were still headed for a weekly loss amid optimism corporate earnings and a law extending payments to the unemployed would maintain growth.
“We’re not having a double-dip recession,” said Rob da Silva, who helps oversee $220 billion at Principal Global Investors in Sydney, part of Principal Financial Group Inc. “Our outlook for Treasuries is that yields will go up. Risk sentiment seems to be relatively positive.”
The 10-year yield, a benchmark for corporate borrowing and mortgages, may rise to 3.75 percent in 12 months, da Silva said. The yield will climb to 3.31 percent by year-end, according to a Bloomberg survey of banks and securities companies with the most recent forecasts given the heaviest weightings.
U.S. Earnings
Microsoft Corp. yesterday posted its biggest sales gain in 2 1/2 years. AT&T Inc., United Parcel Service Inc. and EBay Inc. also beat earnings estimates.
President Barack Obama signed an extension for jobless benefits into law yesterday, granting $34 billion of extra payments to the unemployed. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke told lawmakers the same day that unemployment is “the most important” problem. The U.S. faces an “unusually uncertain” economy, the Fed chief said July 21.
Labor Department data yesterday showed initial jobless claims jumped by 37,000 to 464,000 in the week ended July 17, exceeding the highest estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News.
Softer Data
“Data in the U.S. has softened slightly and Bernanke is reiterating that the Fed’s mandate is growth and employment,” said Peter Chatwell, an interest-rate strategist at Credit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank in London. “He’s saying there’s still ammunition they could use.”
Futures on the CME Group Inc. exchange show a 33 percent chance policy makers will boost the target lending rate for overnight bank loans at least a quarter-percentage point by April, compared with a 55 percent chance a month ago.
After crafting a rescue package worth almost $1 trillion to ward off speculators betting on a breakup of the euro region, regulators started tests on European banks to ensure they can withstand a recession and potential losses on government bonds. The results are due today.
Some Spanish savings lenders that participated in mergers and received money from Spain’s bank-rescue fund may not pass the stress tests, El Pais reported, citing unidentified people in financial markets. The banks may need additional capital if the economy worsens significantly, the Spanish newspaper said.
To contact the reporters on this story: Susanne Walker in New York at swalker33@bloomberg.net; Paul Dobson in London at pdobson2@bloomberg.net
From BloomBerg published on Jul 23, 2010
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Accuride Plans High-Yield Debt as Junk-Bond Sales Surge: New Issue Alert
By Katie Evans - Jul 22, 2010
Accuride Corp., the Evansville, Indiana-based maker of wheels for trucks and trailers, is marketing debt as high-yield, high-risk issuance surpassed $1.7 billion for the second time in a month.
Accuride may sell $300 million of first-priority, senior- secured notes due 2018, according to a statement distributed by Business Wire. Debt sales for speculative-grade issuers surged to $9.5 billion for July, the highest monthly volume since April, when issuance totaled $34 billion.
The transaction by the high-yield issuer comes as investors expect a slow-growth environment. Martin Fridson, the global credit strategist for BNP Paribas Asset Management in New York, recommended moving assets from equities to speculative-grade bonds in an e-mail sent to journalists.
“The consensus view is for low growth, which is favorable for high-yield,” Fridson said, adding that he expects supply to remain elevated, especially as the second-quarter earnings season ends.
Wynn Resorts Ltd., billionaire Stephen Wynn’s casino operator, led high-yield issuance selling $1.32 billion of notes through its Wynn Las Vegas LLC unit in the company’s biggest debt offering. Wynn Las Vegas sold 7.75 percent 10-year first- mortgage securities at par, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
The extra yield investors demand to own junk debt instead of Treasuries narrowed 4 basis points to 675 basis points, according to the Bank of America Merrill Lynch U.S. High Yield Master II. Absolute yields on speculative grade debt fell 6 basis points to 8.72 percent, the index data show.
Previous Active Days
High-yield volume was $1.8 billion on July 20 and $1.93 billion on June 22, Bloomberg data show.
Junk bonds are rated below Baa3 by Moody’s Investors Service and BBB by S&P. A basis point is 0.01 percentage point.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley led investment- grade sales, each selling $3 billion in two-part transactions. Morgan Stanley sold $1.25 billion of five year notes and $1.75 billion of 10-year debt. Goldman Sachs issued $2.25 billion of five-year notes and $750 million in a reopening of its 6 percent, 10-year debt, Bloomberg data show.
Investment grade spreads narrowed 1 basis point to 197 basis points, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s U.S. Corporate Master index. High-grade yields sank 5 basis points to 4.11 percent, the lowest since March 2004, the index data show.
Accuride Yield
Accuride’s notes may yield 10.25 percent to 10.5 percent, according to a person familiar with the transaction, who declined to be identified because terms aren’t set. S&P assigned the proposed offering a B rating on July 21, citing its “highly leveraged financial risk profile and weak business risk profile.”
S&P credit analysts Gregg Lemos Stein and Nancy C. Messer, both in New York, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
Following is a description of at least $5.69 billion of pending sales of dollar-denominated bonds in the U.S.
Investment Grade
STATE BANK OF INDIA, the nation’s largest lender, plans to sell five-year bonds denominated in U.S. dollars, according to a person familiar with the matter. Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc., Deutsche Bank AG, HSBC Holdings Plc, Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc and UBS AG are managing the sale of benchmark notes, said the person, who declined to be identified because details are private. Standard & Poor’s assigned a BBB- rating to the notes. A benchmark issue is typically at least $500 million.
QUEBEC plans a benchmark-sized issue of 10-year bonds in U.S. dollars, according to a banker involved in the sale. The Canadian province hired Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank AG, HSBC Holdings Plc and National Bank of Canada Financial to manage the sale. Standard & Poor’s assigned the Canadian Province an A+ rating on July 10.
CAISSE D’AMORTISSEMENT DE LA DETTE SOCIALE, the state agency charged with funding France’s social security debt, plans to sell three-year bonds in dollars that may be priced to yield 28 basis points more than the benchmark mid-swap rate, according to a banker involved in the transaction. JPMorgan Chase & Co., RBC Capital Markets and UBS AG are managing the sale, the banker said.
CHICAGO PARKING METERS LLC may sell $500 million of 10-year notes, according to a person familiar with the transaction. Proceeds from the sale will be used to fund a cash distribution to its owners, which include Morgan Stanley, Allianz AG and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, said the person, who declined to be identified because terms aren’t set. The issue was rated Baa3 by Moody’s and BBB- by S&P, according to separate statements by the rating companies.
NOMURA HOLDINGS INC. Japan’s largest brokerage, plans to sell dollar-denominated sukuk, or Islamic bonds, in Malaysia, according to a July 6 company statement. Nomura may sell $100 million of Ijarah sukuk that will mature in 2012. The securities will yield 160 basis points more than the London interbank offered rate, said Jamelah Jamaluddin, chief executive officer of Kuwait Finance House (Malaysia) Bhd., a unit of Kuwait’s biggest Islamic bank, the sale arranger. Standard & Poor’s assigned a preliminary rating of BBB+ to the sukuk.
NASPERS LTD. hired Citigroup Inc., Barclays Capital and JPMorgan Chase & Co. for a sale of seven-year bonds in dollars, according to two people with knowledge of the transaction. The company plans to meet with European, U.S. and Asian investors, the people said. The notes may yield about 6.5 percent, according to a banker involved in the deal. Moody’s Investors Service assigned a Baa3 rating to the proposed notes, which will be issued through the Myriad International Holdings BV unit. Proceeds will be used to repay debt and for general corporate purposes, according to Moody’s.
CHILE plans to sell $1 billion of 10-year bonds, along with warrants and peso debt, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Chile will use the proceeds for general purposes, the filing said. The country is seeking financing for repairs after a Feb. 27 earthquake and subsequent tsunami killed more than 400 people and caused as much as $30 billion of damage. Moody’s upgraded Chile’s rating to Aa3 from A1 on June 16, citing “economic and financial resilience even in the face of major adverse shocks, including February’s historic earthquake.”
DOHA BANK QSC, Qatar’s third-largest bank, may raise as much as $1 billion from bond sales, its chief executive officer said. The money is likely to be raised for five years and is meant to “fix the maturity mismatch” on the bank’s balance sheet, Raghavan Seetharaman said in a June 16 telephone interview from Doha. The bank hasn’t decided which currency to sell the bonds in, he said. The lender said in April that it planned to sell senior notes in dollars in a statement on the Qatari bourse, without disclosing the size of the offering.
FORETHOUGHT FINANCIAL GROUP INC. plans to sell $150 million of 10-year bonds, according to a person familiar with the transaction, who declined to be identified because terms aren’t set. S&P assigned the notes a grade of BBB- in a March 24 report.
Not Rated
VANTAGE DRILLING CO. may sell $960 million of five-year debt to help pay for its acquisition of Mandarin Drilling Co. and to finance the completion of a ultra-deepwater drilling ship, according to a person familiar with the transaction.
The PROVINCE OF CORDOBA, Argentina, plans to sell as much as $350 million of bonds in international markets once the federal government completes a restructuring of defaulted debt, Banco de Cordoba said.
SENSIENT TECHNOLOGIES CORP. said it entered into an agreement with a group of four financial institutions for the issuance of $110 million in fixed-rate, senior notes, according to a Nov. 19 statement distributed by Business Wire. The company plans to issue seven-year debt to repay existing indebtedness, Sensient said in a March 1 regulatory filing.
High Yield
JBS SA, the world’s biggest beef producer, plans to sell $400 million in dollar bonds due in 2018, according to Fitch Ratings. Banco Santander SA and JPMorgan Chase & Co. are arranging the offering, according to a person familiar with the offering, who declined to be identified because terms aren’t set. Standard & Poor’s assigned the proposed notes a BB rating. A benchmark issue is typically at least $500 million.
AIR CANADA, the country’s largest airline, plans to sell $900 million of senior secured notes due 2015 to be issued in U.S. dollars and Canadian dollars, the company announced in a statement distributed through CNW Telbec. Air Canada intends to use some of the proceeds to repay debt under its July 2009 credit agreement, according to the statement. Moody’s Investors Service assigned a B2 rating to the proposed notes.
ENTRAVISION COMMUNICATIONS CORP., a media company that targets Spanish-speaking customers, said it intends to offer $385 million aggregate principal amount of senior secured first lien notes due 2017 and enter into a new revolving credit facility of up to $50 million. The notes may yield 9 percent to 9.25 percent, according to a person familiar with the offering who declined to be identified because terms aren’t set. Moody’s assigned the notes a grade of B1.
ACCURIDE CORP., the Evansville, Indiana-based maker of wheels for trucks and trailers, said it may sell $300 million of first-priority, senior-secured notes due 2018. The notes may yield 10.25 percent to 10.5 percent, according to a person familiar with the transaction, who declined to be identified because terms aren’t set. Proceeds from the offering will help refinance the company’s existing senior credit facility, Accuride said in a statement. Standard & Poor’s assigned the proposed offering a B rating.
E-LAND FASHION CHINA HOLDINGS LTD, the Hong Kong-based apparel products provider, hired Morgan Stanley to help it sell $200 million of three-year bonds, according to a person familiar with the matter. The company plans to begin meeting with investors in Asia, Europe and the U.S. on July 19, said the person who declined to be identified because terms aren’t set. Moody’s Investors Service assigned the proposed notes a Ba2, citing growing personal consumption in China, E-Land Fashion’s moderate scale and significant business volatility. Proceeds will be used for mainly for capital expenditures and general corporate purposes, Moody’s said in the report.
ENERGYSOLUTIONS INC., the Salt Lake City-based nuclear services company, has amended its credit facility and plans to refinance that debt with borrowings under new loans and an offering of senior notes, the company said July 13 in a statement distributed by Marketwire. Standard & Poor’s assigned the proposed $300 million senior unsecured notes due 2018 a BB- on July 15.
CALUMET SPECIALTY PRODUCTS PARTNERS LP, the Indianapolis- based refiner of specialty hydrocarbon products, plans to sell $450 million of senior notes. Proceeds will be used to repay bank debt, the company said in a July 12 statement distributed by Business Wire. Calumet Specialty plans to market the 10-year notes beginning through July 16, according to a person familiar with the transaction. Standard & Poor’s assigned the notes a B rating.
GENTIVA HEALTH SERVICES INC., the U.S. home-nursing company that is buying Odyssey HealthCare Inc., plans to sell $305 million of eight-year notes, the Atlanta-based company said in a May 24 regulatory filing, without specifying the timing of the transaction. Proceeds will be used to help fund the takeover, according to the filing. Standard & Poor’s assigned the unsecured notes a B- credit rating on June 29. Moody’s Investors Service rated the notes a grade of B2 and ranked $925 million of loans three steps higher at Ba2, it said in a report.
UNIVERSAL HEALTH SERVICES INC., the operator of more than 100 U.S. medical facilities that’s buying Psychiatric Solutions Inc., plans to sell $400 million of senior unsecured debt to help finance the acquisition, it said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
PROMSVYAZBANK OJSC, Russia’s third-largest private bank, plans to sell $200 million of six-year loan participation notes at a yield of 11.25 percent, according to two people with knowledge of the sale.
TITAN INTERNATIONAL INC., the maker of tire and wheel systems for off-highway equipment, said it plans to sell at least $150 million of senior unsecured notes. Proceeds will be used to repurchase the 8 percent senior unsecured notes due in 2012 and for general corporate purposes, the Quincy, Illinois- based company said in a May 13 statement distributed by Business Wire.
INVENTIV HEALTH INC., the provider of sales and marketing services to science companies that is being acquired by Thomas H. Lee Partners, may sell $275 million of senior notes to back the purchase, it said in a regulatory filing. Standard & Poor’s assigned a B- rating to the proposed notes due 2018. Moody’s Investors Service assigned them a Caa1.
Offerings in Pipeline
IDBI BANK LTD., an Indian state-owned lender, is considering a sale of bonds denominated in U.S. dollars to raise about $500 million, Executive Director Melwyn Rego said in an interview on July 21. HSBC Holdings Plc and Barclays Plc have been hired to oversee the bank’s medium-term note program, Rego said. BNP Paribas SA, Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc and Standard Chartered Plc will help manage this sale of benchmark notes, to be done through its Dubai branch, he said. The bonds may have a maturity of five to five-and-a-half years, said Rego.
BELARUS plans to sell five-year bonds in dollars, according to two people with knowledge of the sale. BNP Paribas SA, Deutsche Bank AG, Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc and OAO Sberbank are managing the sale, the people said.
CZECH REPUBLIC plans to sell as much as $2 billion of dollar bonds to diversify from koruna and euro debt, Eduard Janota, whose term as finance minister ended this week, said in an interview for Mlada Fronta Dnes newspaper.
POTASH CORPORATION OF SASKATCHEWAN INC., the world’s largest fertilizer company by capacity, filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for $2 billion of debt securities.
INDONESIA plans to name three banks to help it sell approximately $650 million of Islamic bonds in October, Dahlan Siamat, director for Islamic financing at the finance ministry, said in a telephone interview in Jakarta. The government sold its first international Islamic dollar bonds in April 2009.
OAO GAZPROMBANK, the lending unit of Russia’s gas export monopoly, hired Barclays Capital, Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc, and UBS AG to organize meetings with investors in Europe and Asia starting July 5, according to two people with knowledge of the transaction.
CORPORACION FINANCIERA DE DESAROLLO SA Peru’s state development bank known as Cofide, plans to sell as much as $250 million of dollar-denominated bonds, according to Chief Financial Officer Carlos Linares. Linares said in an interview in Lima, that the lender is selling long-term debt as it boosts lending to local infrastructure projects. “Peru’s need for infrastructure is huge,” Linares said. “The government is trying to promote foreign investment in a long list of projects.”
SRI LANKA plans to sell dollar-denominated bonds, according to its central bank. The South Asian country’s third-ever overseas offering is likely after August, Central Bank of Sri Lanka Assistant Governor C.J.P. Siriwardena said in a telephone interview on June 30.
GEORGIAN RAILWAY LTD. plans to sell five-year bonds in dollars that may be priced to yield about 10 percent, according to two people with knowledge of the sale. The company hired Bank of America Corp.’s Merrill Lynch unit and JPMorgan Chase & Co. to manage the transaction.
JORDAN plans to sell about $500 million of bonds, Finance Minister Mohammad Abu Hammour said in an interview on June 23. The sale will be denominated in U.S. dollars “as it’s a stable currency and the Jordanian dinar is pegged to it,” Abu Hammour said.
URUGUAY may sell as much as $1 billion of bonds in 2011, including $500 million of dollar-denominated debt, Carlos Steneri, director of public credit at Uruguay’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, said June 3 at a LatinFinance conference in London. The dollar-denominated bonds may have a maturity of 20 years or more, Steneri said.
MALAYSIA plans to raise about $1 billion from its first sale of conventional dollar bonds in eight years after drawing bids for five times the Islamic debt it offered, a finance ministry official said. The government may hire the same banks, including CIMB Group Holdings Bhd. and HSBC Holdings Plc, to arrange the sale by Sept. 30, said the official, who declined to be named as the discussions are private. Malaysia raised $1.25 billion from a Shariah-compliant dollar bond on May 27. Malaysia is rated A3 by Moody’s and A- by S&P.
INDOSAT PALAPA CO., a unit of Indonesia’s second-largest phone operator, delayed a planned dollar bond sale until market conditions improve, a person familiar with the matter said May 26. Indosat began meetings with investors in Asia, the U.S. and Europe on May 12 to gauge demand for a global bond sale, according to a company statement sent to the Indonesian stock exchange that day. Moody’s assigned a provisional Ba1 rating to the notes and S&P rated them BB, one step lower.
SABIC CAPITAL, a unit of Saudi Basic Industries Corp., will sell bonds when market conditions and rates are favorable, its vice president for corporate finance Mutlaq al-Morished told al- Arabiya television in Dubai on June 16. Sabic delayed a bond sale because of unfavorable spreads, al-Morished said in a May 26 telephone interview. Sabic Capital had hired HSBC Holdings Plc, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc to manage a benchmark-sized offering.
GHANA is considering selling its second dollar bond in 2011 to tap investor demand as the start-up of oil production boosts economic growth and narrows the budget deficit, Deputy Finance Minister Fifi Kwetey said. The government is considering a “no- deal roadshow” as early as the fourth quarter to gauge international investors’ appetite, Kwetey said in a May 26 interview in Abidjan. Ghana sold its first global bond in 2007, raising $750 million to help fund the construction of roads and power plants.
ANGOLA received credit ratings from Moody’s, S&P, and Fitch Ratings that put it on par with Nigeria, Lebanon and Belarus, and paved the way for a planned sale of international bonds. The southern African nation’s creditworthiness was rated at B+ by S&P and Fitch, four levels below investment grade. Moody’s assigned an equivalent ranking of B1.
EURASIAN NATURAL RESOURCES CORP., a London-based iron ore and alumina producer with operations in China and Russia, said it delayed its first dollar bond sale. The company is “postponing meetings with investors regarding a potential bond issuance under its Euro Medium Term Note program until further notice,” Charlotte Kirkham, a spokeswoman for ENRC, said in an e-mail. The company had hired Deutsche Bank AG and Morgan Stanley to manage the sale, according to a person familiar with the transaction.
CHINA ORIENTAL GROUP CO. plans to sell senior notes to provide working capital and possibly to finance the purchase of steel mills and iron ore assets in China. Deutsche Bank AG will manage the sale with ING Groep NV, according to a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange.
BANK FOR INVESTMENT & DEVELOPMENT OF VIETNAM received approval from the central bank to issue 7 trillion dong ($369 million) of notes and another 3 trillion dong of dollar- denominated notes in 2010, according to a statement on State Bank of Vietnam’s Web site.
BOLIVIA plans its first international bond sale in more than 70 years as early as the end of 2011, Finance Minister Luis Arce said. He didn’t disclose the size of the offering.
POWER SECTOR ASSETS AND LIABILITIES MANAGEMENT CORP. of the Philippines may sell between $750 million and $1.5 billion of dollar-denominated bonds “anytime” to help refinance maturing debt through next year, Vice Chairman Jose Ibazeta said. The company manages the finances of state utility National Power Corp.
BRISBANE AIRPORT CORP., owner of Australia’s third-busiest airport, may sell bonds in the U.S. later this year as it pursues new markets to help refinance debt and pay for a new runway. The company is considering a 10- or 15-year U.S. private placement and a five- to seven-year Australian dollar bond sale in late 2010 or early 2011, Chief Financial Officer Tim Rothwell said in a phone interview from Brisbane.
VIETNAM NATIONAL COAL-MINERAL INDUSTRIES GROUP, the state- owned coal producer known as Vinacomin, plans to sell as much as $500 million of bonds overseas this year to fund mining and energy projects, according to Deputy Chief Executive Officer Nguyen Van Hai.
FINLAND may sell five-year bonds denominated in dollars this year, the Finnish Treasury said in a document posted on its Web site.
MONGOLIA plans to raise $500 million selling bonds this year and the remainder of a planned $1.2 billion program will be sold according to market conditions, Batbayar Balgan, director general of the financial and economic policy department of Mongolia, said at a forum in Ulan Bator on June 16. The government scaled back its plans for global bond sales this year after Europe’s debt crisis drove up borrowing costs. Investment banks are advising Mongolia to issue debt with maturities of 5 to 10 years, Bayartsogt said in a Feb. 9 interview. The securities may yield 8 percent to 11 percent, he said.
To contact the reporters on this story: Katie Evans in New York at kevans28@bloomberg.net.
From Bloomberg published on July 22, 2010
Accuride Corp., the Evansville, Indiana-based maker of wheels for trucks and trailers, is marketing debt as high-yield, high-risk issuance surpassed $1.7 billion for the second time in a month.
Accuride may sell $300 million of first-priority, senior- secured notes due 2018, according to a statement distributed by Business Wire. Debt sales for speculative-grade issuers surged to $9.5 billion for July, the highest monthly volume since April, when issuance totaled $34 billion.
The transaction by the high-yield issuer comes as investors expect a slow-growth environment. Martin Fridson, the global credit strategist for BNP Paribas Asset Management in New York, recommended moving assets from equities to speculative-grade bonds in an e-mail sent to journalists.
“The consensus view is for low growth, which is favorable for high-yield,” Fridson said, adding that he expects supply to remain elevated, especially as the second-quarter earnings season ends.
Wynn Resorts Ltd., billionaire Stephen Wynn’s casino operator, led high-yield issuance selling $1.32 billion of notes through its Wynn Las Vegas LLC unit in the company’s biggest debt offering. Wynn Las Vegas sold 7.75 percent 10-year first- mortgage securities at par, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
The extra yield investors demand to own junk debt instead of Treasuries narrowed 4 basis points to 675 basis points, according to the Bank of America Merrill Lynch U.S. High Yield Master II. Absolute yields on speculative grade debt fell 6 basis points to 8.72 percent, the index data show.
Previous Active Days
High-yield volume was $1.8 billion on July 20 and $1.93 billion on June 22, Bloomberg data show.
Junk bonds are rated below Baa3 by Moody’s Investors Service and BBB by S&P. A basis point is 0.01 percentage point.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley led investment- grade sales, each selling $3 billion in two-part transactions. Morgan Stanley sold $1.25 billion of five year notes and $1.75 billion of 10-year debt. Goldman Sachs issued $2.25 billion of five-year notes and $750 million in a reopening of its 6 percent, 10-year debt, Bloomberg data show.
Investment grade spreads narrowed 1 basis point to 197 basis points, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s U.S. Corporate Master index. High-grade yields sank 5 basis points to 4.11 percent, the lowest since March 2004, the index data show.
Accuride Yield
Accuride’s notes may yield 10.25 percent to 10.5 percent, according to a person familiar with the transaction, who declined to be identified because terms aren’t set. S&P assigned the proposed offering a B rating on July 21, citing its “highly leveraged financial risk profile and weak business risk profile.”
S&P credit analysts Gregg Lemos Stein and Nancy C. Messer, both in New York, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
Following is a description of at least $5.69 billion of pending sales of dollar-denominated bonds in the U.S.
Investment Grade
STATE BANK OF INDIA, the nation’s largest lender, plans to sell five-year bonds denominated in U.S. dollars, according to a person familiar with the matter. Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc., Deutsche Bank AG, HSBC Holdings Plc, Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc and UBS AG are managing the sale of benchmark notes, said the person, who declined to be identified because details are private. Standard & Poor’s assigned a BBB- rating to the notes. A benchmark issue is typically at least $500 million.
QUEBEC plans a benchmark-sized issue of 10-year bonds in U.S. dollars, according to a banker involved in the sale. The Canadian province hired Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank AG, HSBC Holdings Plc and National Bank of Canada Financial to manage the sale. Standard & Poor’s assigned the Canadian Province an A+ rating on July 10.
CAISSE D’AMORTISSEMENT DE LA DETTE SOCIALE, the state agency charged with funding France’s social security debt, plans to sell three-year bonds in dollars that may be priced to yield 28 basis points more than the benchmark mid-swap rate, according to a banker involved in the transaction. JPMorgan Chase & Co., RBC Capital Markets and UBS AG are managing the sale, the banker said.
CHICAGO PARKING METERS LLC may sell $500 million of 10-year notes, according to a person familiar with the transaction. Proceeds from the sale will be used to fund a cash distribution to its owners, which include Morgan Stanley, Allianz AG and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, said the person, who declined to be identified because terms aren’t set. The issue was rated Baa3 by Moody’s and BBB- by S&P, according to separate statements by the rating companies.
NOMURA HOLDINGS INC. Japan’s largest brokerage, plans to sell dollar-denominated sukuk, or Islamic bonds, in Malaysia, according to a July 6 company statement. Nomura may sell $100 million of Ijarah sukuk that will mature in 2012. The securities will yield 160 basis points more than the London interbank offered rate, said Jamelah Jamaluddin, chief executive officer of Kuwait Finance House (Malaysia) Bhd., a unit of Kuwait’s biggest Islamic bank, the sale arranger. Standard & Poor’s assigned a preliminary rating of BBB+ to the sukuk.
NASPERS LTD. hired Citigroup Inc., Barclays Capital and JPMorgan Chase & Co. for a sale of seven-year bonds in dollars, according to two people with knowledge of the transaction. The company plans to meet with European, U.S. and Asian investors, the people said. The notes may yield about 6.5 percent, according to a banker involved in the deal. Moody’s Investors Service assigned a Baa3 rating to the proposed notes, which will be issued through the Myriad International Holdings BV unit. Proceeds will be used to repay debt and for general corporate purposes, according to Moody’s.
CHILE plans to sell $1 billion of 10-year bonds, along with warrants and peso debt, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Chile will use the proceeds for general purposes, the filing said. The country is seeking financing for repairs after a Feb. 27 earthquake and subsequent tsunami killed more than 400 people and caused as much as $30 billion of damage. Moody’s upgraded Chile’s rating to Aa3 from A1 on June 16, citing “economic and financial resilience even in the face of major adverse shocks, including February’s historic earthquake.”
DOHA BANK QSC, Qatar’s third-largest bank, may raise as much as $1 billion from bond sales, its chief executive officer said. The money is likely to be raised for five years and is meant to “fix the maturity mismatch” on the bank’s balance sheet, Raghavan Seetharaman said in a June 16 telephone interview from Doha. The bank hasn’t decided which currency to sell the bonds in, he said. The lender said in April that it planned to sell senior notes in dollars in a statement on the Qatari bourse, without disclosing the size of the offering.
FORETHOUGHT FINANCIAL GROUP INC. plans to sell $150 million of 10-year bonds, according to a person familiar with the transaction, who declined to be identified because terms aren’t set. S&P assigned the notes a grade of BBB- in a March 24 report.
Not Rated
VANTAGE DRILLING CO. may sell $960 million of five-year debt to help pay for its acquisition of Mandarin Drilling Co. and to finance the completion of a ultra-deepwater drilling ship, according to a person familiar with the transaction.
The PROVINCE OF CORDOBA, Argentina, plans to sell as much as $350 million of bonds in international markets once the federal government completes a restructuring of defaulted debt, Banco de Cordoba said.
SENSIENT TECHNOLOGIES CORP. said it entered into an agreement with a group of four financial institutions for the issuance of $110 million in fixed-rate, senior notes, according to a Nov. 19 statement distributed by Business Wire. The company plans to issue seven-year debt to repay existing indebtedness, Sensient said in a March 1 regulatory filing.
High Yield
JBS SA, the world’s biggest beef producer, plans to sell $400 million in dollar bonds due in 2018, according to Fitch Ratings. Banco Santander SA and JPMorgan Chase & Co. are arranging the offering, according to a person familiar with the offering, who declined to be identified because terms aren’t set. Standard & Poor’s assigned the proposed notes a BB rating. A benchmark issue is typically at least $500 million.
AIR CANADA, the country’s largest airline, plans to sell $900 million of senior secured notes due 2015 to be issued in U.S. dollars and Canadian dollars, the company announced in a statement distributed through CNW Telbec. Air Canada intends to use some of the proceeds to repay debt under its July 2009 credit agreement, according to the statement. Moody’s Investors Service assigned a B2 rating to the proposed notes.
ENTRAVISION COMMUNICATIONS CORP., a media company that targets Spanish-speaking customers, said it intends to offer $385 million aggregate principal amount of senior secured first lien notes due 2017 and enter into a new revolving credit facility of up to $50 million. The notes may yield 9 percent to 9.25 percent, according to a person familiar with the offering who declined to be identified because terms aren’t set. Moody’s assigned the notes a grade of B1.
ACCURIDE CORP., the Evansville, Indiana-based maker of wheels for trucks and trailers, said it may sell $300 million of first-priority, senior-secured notes due 2018. The notes may yield 10.25 percent to 10.5 percent, according to a person familiar with the transaction, who declined to be identified because terms aren’t set. Proceeds from the offering will help refinance the company’s existing senior credit facility, Accuride said in a statement. Standard & Poor’s assigned the proposed offering a B rating.
E-LAND FASHION CHINA HOLDINGS LTD, the Hong Kong-based apparel products provider, hired Morgan Stanley to help it sell $200 million of three-year bonds, according to a person familiar with the matter. The company plans to begin meeting with investors in Asia, Europe and the U.S. on July 19, said the person who declined to be identified because terms aren’t set. Moody’s Investors Service assigned the proposed notes a Ba2, citing growing personal consumption in China, E-Land Fashion’s moderate scale and significant business volatility. Proceeds will be used for mainly for capital expenditures and general corporate purposes, Moody’s said in the report.
ENERGYSOLUTIONS INC., the Salt Lake City-based nuclear services company, has amended its credit facility and plans to refinance that debt with borrowings under new loans and an offering of senior notes, the company said July 13 in a statement distributed by Marketwire. Standard & Poor’s assigned the proposed $300 million senior unsecured notes due 2018 a BB- on July 15.
CALUMET SPECIALTY PRODUCTS PARTNERS LP, the Indianapolis- based refiner of specialty hydrocarbon products, plans to sell $450 million of senior notes. Proceeds will be used to repay bank debt, the company said in a July 12 statement distributed by Business Wire. Calumet Specialty plans to market the 10-year notes beginning through July 16, according to a person familiar with the transaction. Standard & Poor’s assigned the notes a B rating.
GENTIVA HEALTH SERVICES INC., the U.S. home-nursing company that is buying Odyssey HealthCare Inc., plans to sell $305 million of eight-year notes, the Atlanta-based company said in a May 24 regulatory filing, without specifying the timing of the transaction. Proceeds will be used to help fund the takeover, according to the filing. Standard & Poor’s assigned the unsecured notes a B- credit rating on June 29. Moody’s Investors Service rated the notes a grade of B2 and ranked $925 million of loans three steps higher at Ba2, it said in a report.
UNIVERSAL HEALTH SERVICES INC., the operator of more than 100 U.S. medical facilities that’s buying Psychiatric Solutions Inc., plans to sell $400 million of senior unsecured debt to help finance the acquisition, it said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
PROMSVYAZBANK OJSC, Russia’s third-largest private bank, plans to sell $200 million of six-year loan participation notes at a yield of 11.25 percent, according to two people with knowledge of the sale.
TITAN INTERNATIONAL INC., the maker of tire and wheel systems for off-highway equipment, said it plans to sell at least $150 million of senior unsecured notes. Proceeds will be used to repurchase the 8 percent senior unsecured notes due in 2012 and for general corporate purposes, the Quincy, Illinois- based company said in a May 13 statement distributed by Business Wire.
INVENTIV HEALTH INC., the provider of sales and marketing services to science companies that is being acquired by Thomas H. Lee Partners, may sell $275 million of senior notes to back the purchase, it said in a regulatory filing. Standard & Poor’s assigned a B- rating to the proposed notes due 2018. Moody’s Investors Service assigned them a Caa1.
Offerings in Pipeline
IDBI BANK LTD., an Indian state-owned lender, is considering a sale of bonds denominated in U.S. dollars to raise about $500 million, Executive Director Melwyn Rego said in an interview on July 21. HSBC Holdings Plc and Barclays Plc have been hired to oversee the bank’s medium-term note program, Rego said. BNP Paribas SA, Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc and Standard Chartered Plc will help manage this sale of benchmark notes, to be done through its Dubai branch, he said. The bonds may have a maturity of five to five-and-a-half years, said Rego.
BELARUS plans to sell five-year bonds in dollars, according to two people with knowledge of the sale. BNP Paribas SA, Deutsche Bank AG, Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc and OAO Sberbank are managing the sale, the people said.
CZECH REPUBLIC plans to sell as much as $2 billion of dollar bonds to diversify from koruna and euro debt, Eduard Janota, whose term as finance minister ended this week, said in an interview for Mlada Fronta Dnes newspaper.
POTASH CORPORATION OF SASKATCHEWAN INC., the world’s largest fertilizer company by capacity, filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for $2 billion of debt securities.
INDONESIA plans to name three banks to help it sell approximately $650 million of Islamic bonds in October, Dahlan Siamat, director for Islamic financing at the finance ministry, said in a telephone interview in Jakarta. The government sold its first international Islamic dollar bonds in April 2009.
OAO GAZPROMBANK, the lending unit of Russia’s gas export monopoly, hired Barclays Capital, Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc, and UBS AG to organize meetings with investors in Europe and Asia starting July 5, according to two people with knowledge of the transaction.
CORPORACION FINANCIERA DE DESAROLLO SA Peru’s state development bank known as Cofide, plans to sell as much as $250 million of dollar-denominated bonds, according to Chief Financial Officer Carlos Linares. Linares said in an interview in Lima, that the lender is selling long-term debt as it boosts lending to local infrastructure projects. “Peru’s need for infrastructure is huge,” Linares said. “The government is trying to promote foreign investment in a long list of projects.”
SRI LANKA plans to sell dollar-denominated bonds, according to its central bank. The South Asian country’s third-ever overseas offering is likely after August, Central Bank of Sri Lanka Assistant Governor C.J.P. Siriwardena said in a telephone interview on June 30.
GEORGIAN RAILWAY LTD. plans to sell five-year bonds in dollars that may be priced to yield about 10 percent, according to two people with knowledge of the sale. The company hired Bank of America Corp.’s Merrill Lynch unit and JPMorgan Chase & Co. to manage the transaction.
JORDAN plans to sell about $500 million of bonds, Finance Minister Mohammad Abu Hammour said in an interview on June 23. The sale will be denominated in U.S. dollars “as it’s a stable currency and the Jordanian dinar is pegged to it,” Abu Hammour said.
URUGUAY may sell as much as $1 billion of bonds in 2011, including $500 million of dollar-denominated debt, Carlos Steneri, director of public credit at Uruguay’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, said June 3 at a LatinFinance conference in London. The dollar-denominated bonds may have a maturity of 20 years or more, Steneri said.
MALAYSIA plans to raise about $1 billion from its first sale of conventional dollar bonds in eight years after drawing bids for five times the Islamic debt it offered, a finance ministry official said. The government may hire the same banks, including CIMB Group Holdings Bhd. and HSBC Holdings Plc, to arrange the sale by Sept. 30, said the official, who declined to be named as the discussions are private. Malaysia raised $1.25 billion from a Shariah-compliant dollar bond on May 27. Malaysia is rated A3 by Moody’s and A- by S&P.
INDOSAT PALAPA CO., a unit of Indonesia’s second-largest phone operator, delayed a planned dollar bond sale until market conditions improve, a person familiar with the matter said May 26. Indosat began meetings with investors in Asia, the U.S. and Europe on May 12 to gauge demand for a global bond sale, according to a company statement sent to the Indonesian stock exchange that day. Moody’s assigned a provisional Ba1 rating to the notes and S&P rated them BB, one step lower.
SABIC CAPITAL, a unit of Saudi Basic Industries Corp., will sell bonds when market conditions and rates are favorable, its vice president for corporate finance Mutlaq al-Morished told al- Arabiya television in Dubai on June 16. Sabic delayed a bond sale because of unfavorable spreads, al-Morished said in a May 26 telephone interview. Sabic Capital had hired HSBC Holdings Plc, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc to manage a benchmark-sized offering.
GHANA is considering selling its second dollar bond in 2011 to tap investor demand as the start-up of oil production boosts economic growth and narrows the budget deficit, Deputy Finance Minister Fifi Kwetey said. The government is considering a “no- deal roadshow” as early as the fourth quarter to gauge international investors’ appetite, Kwetey said in a May 26 interview in Abidjan. Ghana sold its first global bond in 2007, raising $750 million to help fund the construction of roads and power plants.
ANGOLA received credit ratings from Moody’s, S&P, and Fitch Ratings that put it on par with Nigeria, Lebanon and Belarus, and paved the way for a planned sale of international bonds. The southern African nation’s creditworthiness was rated at B+ by S&P and Fitch, four levels below investment grade. Moody’s assigned an equivalent ranking of B1.
EURASIAN NATURAL RESOURCES CORP., a London-based iron ore and alumina producer with operations in China and Russia, said it delayed its first dollar bond sale. The company is “postponing meetings with investors regarding a potential bond issuance under its Euro Medium Term Note program until further notice,” Charlotte Kirkham, a spokeswoman for ENRC, said in an e-mail. The company had hired Deutsche Bank AG and Morgan Stanley to manage the sale, according to a person familiar with the transaction.
CHINA ORIENTAL GROUP CO. plans to sell senior notes to provide working capital and possibly to finance the purchase of steel mills and iron ore assets in China. Deutsche Bank AG will manage the sale with ING Groep NV, according to a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange.
BANK FOR INVESTMENT & DEVELOPMENT OF VIETNAM received approval from the central bank to issue 7 trillion dong ($369 million) of notes and another 3 trillion dong of dollar- denominated notes in 2010, according to a statement on State Bank of Vietnam’s Web site.
BOLIVIA plans its first international bond sale in more than 70 years as early as the end of 2011, Finance Minister Luis Arce said. He didn’t disclose the size of the offering.
POWER SECTOR ASSETS AND LIABILITIES MANAGEMENT CORP. of the Philippines may sell between $750 million and $1.5 billion of dollar-denominated bonds “anytime” to help refinance maturing debt through next year, Vice Chairman Jose Ibazeta said. The company manages the finances of state utility National Power Corp.
BRISBANE AIRPORT CORP., owner of Australia’s third-busiest airport, may sell bonds in the U.S. later this year as it pursues new markets to help refinance debt and pay for a new runway. The company is considering a 10- or 15-year U.S. private placement and a five- to seven-year Australian dollar bond sale in late 2010 or early 2011, Chief Financial Officer Tim Rothwell said in a phone interview from Brisbane.
VIETNAM NATIONAL COAL-MINERAL INDUSTRIES GROUP, the state- owned coal producer known as Vinacomin, plans to sell as much as $500 million of bonds overseas this year to fund mining and energy projects, according to Deputy Chief Executive Officer Nguyen Van Hai.
FINLAND may sell five-year bonds denominated in dollars this year, the Finnish Treasury said in a document posted on its Web site.
MONGOLIA plans to raise $500 million selling bonds this year and the remainder of a planned $1.2 billion program will be sold according to market conditions, Batbayar Balgan, director general of the financial and economic policy department of Mongolia, said at a forum in Ulan Bator on June 16. The government scaled back its plans for global bond sales this year after Europe’s debt crisis drove up borrowing costs. Investment banks are advising Mongolia to issue debt with maturities of 5 to 10 years, Bayartsogt said in a Feb. 9 interview. The securities may yield 8 percent to 11 percent, he said.
To contact the reporters on this story: Katie Evans in New York at kevans28@bloomberg.net.
From Bloomberg published on July 22, 2010
Japan's 20-Year Bonds Fall for Third Day Before 1.1 Trillion Yen Auction
By Masaki Kondo and Yasuhiko Seki - Jul 21, 2010
Japan’s 20-year bonds declined for a third day on speculation primary dealers cut holdings of the securities before the government auctions 1.1 trillion yen ($12.6 billion) of the debt tomorrow.
The bonds also dropped on speculation the Ministry of Finance will reduce the coupon at the sale from last month’s 2 percent. Ten-year bond futures rose for the first time in three days as the stronger yen clouded the outlook for corporate earnings and drove down Japanese shares.
“The coupon at tomorrow’s auction of 20-year bonds is likely to be lowered to 1.8 percent, the lowest since 2004,” said Akitsugu Bandou, senior economist at Okasan Securities Co. in Tokyo. “I have doubts as to whether bonds with coupons this low will sell well.”
The yield on the 20-year bond rose one basis point to 1.805 percent as of 4:12 p.m. at Japan Bond Trading Co., the nation’s largest interdealer debt broker. The 2 percent security due June 2030 fell 0.151 yen to 102.855 yen.
The benchmark 10-year yield dropped half a basis point to 1.085 percent. Ten-year bond futures for September delivery gained 0.09 to 141.70 as of the afternoon close on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
The previous auction of 20-year securities on June 16 drew bids for 4.6 times the amount on offer, compared with a so- called bid-to-cover ratio of 3.93 at the May sale.
Primary dealers, which are required to bid at government debt sales, often reduce holdings of bonds before an auction in case prices decline before they can pass on the new securities.
Loan Demand
Bond futures gained on speculation falling appetite for loans will encourage banks to put more money into bonds.
An index of demand for loans to businesses slid to minus 17 in July from minus 10 three months ago, the Bank of Japan said today. The number has been negative for five quarters.
“Given weak corporate demand for new loans, underlying demand for government bonds from Japanese banks remains strong,” said RuiXue Xu , a strategist in Tokyo at RBS Securities Japan Ltd., part of Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc.
Some investors also sold government bonds as the extra yield offered by shares over that of debt widened yesterday toward the most in a year.
The spread between dividend yields on the Nikkei 225 Stock Average and 10-year debt expanded to 61.77 basis points yesterday, approached the 66.29 basis points gap on July 1, which was the most since July 17, 2009.
“Equities are now looking to be more attractive than bonds, given such indicators as dividend yields,” said Ayako Sera, a strategist in Tokyo at Sumitomo Trust & Banking Co., which manages the equivalent of $310 billion. “While there is concern about the global recovery, we believe it will stay intact.”
The Nikkei 225 fell for a fourth day, losing 0.2 percent. The yen strengthened 0.4 percent to 87.17 per dollar approaching its seven-month of 86.27 set July 16.
To contact the reporters on this story: Masaki Kondo in Tokyo at mkondo3@bloomberg.net; Yasuhiko Seki in Tokyo at yseki5@bloomberg.net.
From Bloomberg published on July 21, 2010
Japan’s 20-year bonds declined for a third day on speculation primary dealers cut holdings of the securities before the government auctions 1.1 trillion yen ($12.6 billion) of the debt tomorrow.
The bonds also dropped on speculation the Ministry of Finance will reduce the coupon at the sale from last month’s 2 percent. Ten-year bond futures rose for the first time in three days as the stronger yen clouded the outlook for corporate earnings and drove down Japanese shares.
“The coupon at tomorrow’s auction of 20-year bonds is likely to be lowered to 1.8 percent, the lowest since 2004,” said Akitsugu Bandou, senior economist at Okasan Securities Co. in Tokyo. “I have doubts as to whether bonds with coupons this low will sell well.”
The yield on the 20-year bond rose one basis point to 1.805 percent as of 4:12 p.m. at Japan Bond Trading Co., the nation’s largest interdealer debt broker. The 2 percent security due June 2030 fell 0.151 yen to 102.855 yen.
The benchmark 10-year yield dropped half a basis point to 1.085 percent. Ten-year bond futures for September delivery gained 0.09 to 141.70 as of the afternoon close on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
The previous auction of 20-year securities on June 16 drew bids for 4.6 times the amount on offer, compared with a so- called bid-to-cover ratio of 3.93 at the May sale.
Primary dealers, which are required to bid at government debt sales, often reduce holdings of bonds before an auction in case prices decline before they can pass on the new securities.
Loan Demand
Bond futures gained on speculation falling appetite for loans will encourage banks to put more money into bonds.
An index of demand for loans to businesses slid to minus 17 in July from minus 10 three months ago, the Bank of Japan said today. The number has been negative for five quarters.
“Given weak corporate demand for new loans, underlying demand for government bonds from Japanese banks remains strong,” said RuiXue Xu , a strategist in Tokyo at RBS Securities Japan Ltd., part of Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc.
Some investors also sold government bonds as the extra yield offered by shares over that of debt widened yesterday toward the most in a year.
The spread between dividend yields on the Nikkei 225 Stock Average and 10-year debt expanded to 61.77 basis points yesterday, approached the 66.29 basis points gap on July 1, which was the most since July 17, 2009.
“Equities are now looking to be more attractive than bonds, given such indicators as dividend yields,” said Ayako Sera, a strategist in Tokyo at Sumitomo Trust & Banking Co., which manages the equivalent of $310 billion. “While there is concern about the global recovery, we believe it will stay intact.”
The Nikkei 225 fell for a fourth day, losing 0.2 percent. The yen strengthened 0.4 percent to 87.17 per dollar approaching its seven-month of 86.27 set July 16.
To contact the reporters on this story: Masaki Kondo in Tokyo at mkondo3@bloomberg.net; Yasuhiko Seki in Tokyo at yseki5@bloomberg.net.
From Bloomberg published on July 21, 2010
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