Ecobank $350M Bond Was Three Times Oversubscribed By Investors

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, the parent company of the Ecobank Group, says it has successfully raised $350m Tier 2 Sustainability Notes.

ETI said in a statement on Friday that the bond was more than three times oversubscribed by investors.

“This represents the first-ever Tier 2 Sustainability Notes by a financial institution in Sub-Saharan Africa,” it said.

According to the statement, the Tier 2 issuance is the first to have a Basel III-compliant 10NC5 structure outside of South Africa in 144A/RegS format and will be listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange.

It said, “The bond, which matures in June 2031, has a call option in June 2026 and was issued with a coupon of 8.75 percent with interest payable semi-annually in arrears.

“An equivalent amount of the net proceeds from the notes will be used by ETI to finance or re-finance, new or existing eligible assets as described in ETI’s Sustainable Finance Framework.”

ETI said investor interest for this sophomore Eurobond issue was global, including United Kingdom, United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa, achieving a 3.6x oversubscribed order book, of over $1.3bn at its peak.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of ETI, Ade Ayeyemi, said, “This is a landmark issue for Ecobank, and indeed the success of this first Sustainable Tier 2 issuance is testament to our clear strategy, solid positioning across the pan-African banking space as well as our deliberate and long-term focus on sustainable initiatives.

“We are particularly pleased with the diverse order book which reflects the confidence investors have in Ecobank to deliver on our commitment to sustainable financing.”