Cyprus preparing for €1bln bond issue


Cyprus is preparing its second bond issue in less than a year in an effort to rebuild its finances following a bailout of its banking system in 2013.

The country has hired a group of banks to arrange a call with investors, according to reports on Monday. A yield in the lower 4% area was suggested for the planned bond which will mature in May 2022.

The banks working on the deal, Barclays, HSBC, Morgan Stanley and Société Générale, are now taking initial offers of interest, with the deal expected to be launched later today. Market participants now expect Cyprus to target an issue size of around €1 billion.

The gradual improvement of Cyprus’ finances forms a sharp contrast with Greece, which is seen as running out of time to secure new funds amid strained talks with European partners. A Greek exit from the euro would hit Cyprus particularly hard, Fitch Ratings warned on Friday, despite upgrading the Cyprus economy.

Cyprus raised €750 million in June 2014 from a five-year government bond, paying a yield of 4.85% and attracting around €2 billion of orders.

The country is likely to attract solid demand for a new bond, particularly while investors are starved of yields from Europe’s pricey bond market, which is pumped up by the European Central Bank’s stimulus package.

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