Telekom Srbija successfully issued its first euro-denominated bonds on the international market and on the Dublin Stock Exchange, raising $900 million, according to General Director Vladimir Lučić in an interview with Tanjug. He highlighted the significant interest, noting that demand exceeded $5 billion.
Lučić stated that the raised funds will be used to refinance existing debts. This marks the first instance of a company in the region issuing bonds on the international market and obtaining a credit rating from international credit agencies, which is expected to have a positive impact on other companies in Serbia.
The bonds are set to mature in five years, with an initial interest rate of 7% in dollars. After hedging, the rate will be reduced to below 5.9% in euros. Lučić emphasized that Telekom issued these bonds without any guarantees, continuing its practice of taking loans without collateral.
In the first 10 minutes of trading on the London Stock Exchange, offers for Telekom’s bonds reached nearly $1 billion, which Lučić described as “incredible.” Major investors, including BNP Paribas, Bank of America, and Deutsche Bank, participated in the bond purchase.
Credit agencies rated the bonds with S&P Global assigning a BB- rating with stable outlooks, while Fitch rated them B+ with a positive outlook.
