Afreximbank Raises $750m Eurobond to Benefit African Borrowers

By Dipo Olowookere

In order to give great benefit to African borrowers, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has successfully closed a $750 million note under its Euro Medium Term Note programme.

Beneficiaries will by this development enjoy the positive effects of the reduction in the Afreximbank’s cost of funds.

According to the bank’s Executive Vice President in charge of Finance, Administration and Banking Services, Mr Denys Denya, “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 added that the strong feedback from the road shows confirm 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 5 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.

It was gathered that Afreximbank closed the seven-year Regulation S (Reg S) only notes on June 13, priced at a spread of 220 bps over mid-swaps (m/s) and a coupon of 4.125 per cent, with Mitsubishi UFJ Securities International plc as the sole coordinator and joint lead manager/book runner. (Reg S are bonds or stocks that may not be offered, sold or delivered within the United States.)

Barclays Bank plc., HSBC Bank plc., 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.