YEREVAN, January 29, /ARKA/ Ardshinbank said it has successfully priced its new RegS / 144A US$300mm 5-year eurobonds rated Ba3 by Moody’s and B+ by Fitch.
The issuance was first non-sovereign index-eligible issuance out of Armenia. The bonds are listed on the Irish Stock Exchange and clear through DTC, Euroclear and Clearstream. The offering has been conducted with the help of Citigroup Global Markets Limited and Renaissance Securities (Cyprus), that acted as lead managers for the transaction This is a landmark transaction for Armenia.
First, only Ardshinbank is present in this market from Armenia. Second, there has not been any private entity that has attracted and ensured a foreign investment flow of funds to the country at such volume. During the pricing of bonds the demand has approached $ 500 million.
The number of investors in bonds is over 70. 45% of investors are from Switzerland, 30% from USA, the rest from Germany, Great Britain and other countries. This proves once again that the level of transparency of the bank, the risk profile and the strategy are acceptable to international investors and meet all internationally accepted standards. This new 5-year long-term attraction of funds enables Ardshinbank to offer long-term funding at affordable terms not only to key corporate customers, but also to the population, especially for mortgage lending.
Commenting the event, Artak Ananyan, the Chairman of the Management Board of Ardshinbank, notes: “This is the third issue of Ardshinbank’s eurobonds, and it has become the largest not only in terms of issuance, but also in the modern history of Armenia. It is important that we are trusted not only in Armenia but also in the international markets. We are proud to represent our country in international markets as our country’s national brand. Meanwhile, we recognize our responsibility to stand by to our customers through supporting their business development and stand ready to finance large scale projects in the country”.
Ardshinbank is the first private entity in Armenia to issue eurobonds in international capital markets. The first issue was in 2014 at a volume of US$ 75 million. The second has been priced in June 2015 at a volume of US $ 100 million. With its large branch network and comprehensive mobile banking platform, Ardshinbank is one of the leading banks in Armenia. Ardshinbank has got ratings from two international major rating agencies (Moody’s and Fitch) equal to the rating of sovereign. Throughout its history, different professional publications and analytical institutions have recognized the bank as the Best Bank, Bank of the Year and the Safest Bank in Armenia. -0-
