Arab News, Thursday, Sep 10, 2020 | Muharram 22, 1442
Bahrain sells $2 billion in sukuk and bonds
Bahrain: Bahrain sold $2 billion in its second bond offering
of the year on Wednesday, a dual-tranche issuance comprising seven-year sukuk,
or Islamic bonds, and a 12-year conventional tranche.
The small oil producer, which averted a credit crunch in 2018 with a $10 billion
aid package from its Gulf neighbors, raised $2 billion in May to bolster
finances battered by low oil prices and the coronavirus crisis.
On Wednesday it sold $1 billion in sukuk at 3.95% and $1 billion in 12-year
bonds at 5.45%, receiving more than $7.6 billion in combined orders for the
paper on offer, a document from one of the banks arranging the deal showed.
Rated ‘junk’ by S&P and Fitch, Bahrain began marketing the deal at around 4.5%
for the sukuk and around 5.75% for the conventional bonds earlier on Wednesday.
Fund managers said the yields were tight compared with similarly rated issuers
and considering Bahrain’s weak credit standing, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of
114.9% as of the end of June.
“Bahrain can offer a significantly lower yield than an issuer like Egypt because
of the explicit support of its Gulf neighbors,” said Doug Bitcon, head of credit
strategies at Rasmala Investment Bank.
Bonds due in 2032 by similarly rated Egypt were yielding 7.2% on Wednesday,
according to Refinitiv data, while Saudi bonds due in 2032 were yielding 2.3%.
“Bahrain still has a long way to go toward fiscal sustainability ... but I think
the market right now is saying they have time because of Gulf support, primarily
from Saudi Arabia,” said Abdul Kadir Hussain, head of fixed income asset
management at Arqaam Capital.
Bahrain had considered issuing a 30-year conventional tranche in lieu of the
12-year bonds or alongside them, but opted for the shorter tenor.
“There was no investor appetite for a 30-year tranche. Bahrain has a relatively
low amount of bonds maturing in 12 years, so it was a sweet spot,” a financial
source said.
Bank ABC, Citi, Gulf International Bank, HSBC, National Bank of Bahrain and
Standard Chartered arranged the deal.