Afreximbank issues $750m notes under Euro medium-term note programme

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has successfully closed a $750 million note under its Euro Medium Term Note programme, according to a release by the bank at the weekend.

The Cairo-based bank closed the seven-year Regulation S (Reg S) only notes on 13 June, priced at a spread of 220 basis points (bps) over mid-swaps (m/s) and a coupon of 4.125 percent, with Mitsubishi UFJ Securities International Plc as the sole coordinator and joint lead manager/book runner.

Regulation S notes are bonds or stocks that may not be offered, sold or delivered within the United States.

Barclays Bank, HSBC Bank, Commerzbank and Standard Chartered Bank were joint lead managers and book runners.

This deal tenor represents the longest that Afreximbank has ever achieved in the Eurobond market and will help the Bank to extend the average tenor of its liability book in support of its new five-year strategic plan dubbed Impact 2021.

The order book reached $2.7 billion before being scaled back to $2.2 billion after the initial pricing thoughts were revised from m/s plus 250 basis points (bps), down to m/s plus 220 bps. In the end, 39 per cent of the allocation went to continental Europe, 28 per cent to the United Kingdom, 19 per cent to Asia, and 7 per cent each to the Middle East and Africa and the United States offshore.

Prior to pricing the transaction, Afreximbank met with more than 60 investors during comprehensive roadshows held across Asia, continental Europe and the United Kingdom.

Speaking after the closing, Denys Denya, Afreximbank’s Executive Vice-President in charge of Finance, Administration and Banking Services, said that the deal would be of great benefit to the Bank’s African borrowers who would enjoy the positive effects of the reduction in the Bank’s cost of funds.

“The level of subscription and diversification of investors, coupled with the highly competitive pricing achieved, is testimony to the continued investor confidence in Afreximbank,” he said.

According to him, the strong feedback from the road shows confirms investor confidence in Afreximbank’s credit profile and strategy, notably, their satisfaction with its successful equity capital raising efforts.

He commended the Afreximbank treasury team for putting together the deal, which was executed within a short window and priced lower than all previous five- year issues.

The achieved spread of 220 bps over m/s for the seven-year issue is 100.5 bps lower than the 2019s, which were priced at m/s plus 320.5 bps, and 80 bps lower than the 2024s, priced at m/s plus 300 bps, both being five-year issues.