Thursday, March 28

Tencent raises $6 bn funding through bond sales

Shenzhen-based internet giant Tencent raises USD 6 billion in the bond sale. This is one of the biggest money collection through bond sales in Asia this year.

Tencent confirmed this news in a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange on Thursday with the biggest 10-year tranche of USD 3 billion priced at 3.975 percent.

The social media giant in china also sold a five-year tranche of USD 2 billion in fixed and floating rate, USD 500 million in seven-year notes, and USD 500 million in 30-year notes.

The dollar bond offering marks the biggest sale in Asia excluding Japan so far this year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg News, when sources tipped the offering to raise around USD 5 billion earlier this week.

“The market is keenly anticipating Tencent’s jumbo offering given the broader lack of investment-grade China dollar bond supply this year in the offshore market and deluge of high yield bonds from property developers,” Owen Gallimore, head of credit strategy at ANZ in Singapore.

“Despite earnings being weak on rising costs as much as the gaming hit, Tencent is viewed as a strong benchmark (investment-grade) position by global fund managers.” The notes are expected to be issued on April 11 and will take USD 15.5 billion in outstanding principal under the programme.

Tencent is recovering from a government crackdown on the lucrative game sector last year and saw its plunging fourth-quarter profit miss estimates. But after government approval in December, the company’s shares climbed more than 19 percent so far this year.