IslamicFinance.de

Al Rayan Bank has started marketing Tolkien Funding Sukuk No. 1, the first UK RMBS issue to be structured on Islamic finance principles. Islamic banks can't access central bank facilities, which means the wholesale markets are fuelling the firm's ambitious expansion plans.

The Middle East faces a very tricky 2018. War rages in Yemen. Qatar and its neighbours are at loggerheads, in an inter-Gulf feud without precedent. Saudi Arabia is purging its princes. But bond and loan markets are placid. Overall borrowing in the region in 2017 came in at a much higher level than before the oil price fell in 2014. The feeling across the capital markets is firmly that although the region poses risks, it is also rife with opportunities for 2018. One country where that optimism might not be so high is Qatar. The political turmoil in the region has reined in debt capital market bankers’ enthusiasm about Qatar, once the jewel of the Middle East capital markets. On June 5 last year, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Yemen, Egypt and Libya cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and installed sanctions over allegations of the emirate’s links to terrorist groups. In December 2017, Qatar National Bank and Commercial Bank of Qatar approached the international loan market. Now banks are brushing their concerns aside and bankers are more optimistic about Qatar’s funding capability.

Ahli United Bank Kuwait has opened books on a perpetual dollar sukuk after wrapping up investor meetings on Monday. Books were oversubscribed and were due to close on Tuesday. Citi, Credit Agricole and Credit Suisse ran the roadshow, which started in Abu Dhabi and Dubai last Wednesday before taking in Zurich and Geneva, London and Singapore. Books were opened at 5.75% area on Monday before guidance was refined to 5.5%-5.875%.

Dubai Islamic Bank is embarking on a roadshow for a senior dollar sukuk, and looks likely to be the first bank from the Gulf Cooperation Council to enter the public bond markets this year. Bank ABC, DIB, Emirates Islamic Bank, HSBC, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Sharjah Islamic Bank and Standard Chartered Bank have arranged fixed income investor meetings to take place in London on March 21. DIB, rated Baa1/—/A, will print the Reg S note under its $2.5bn sukuk programme.

The Islamic subsidiary of Turkey's Ziraat Bank has launched a bitesize $75m murabaha deal, as the bank itself refinances $1bn of loans. Ziraat Participation (Ziraat Katilim Bankasi), which is wholly owned by Ziraat Bank, launched a $75m dual currency loan earlier this week — its first ever syndicated deal, according to a lead banker. Banks can make commitments in euros and dollars. ABC Islamic Bank is co-ordinator.

Sukuk is already this year proving the format of choice for issuers in the Middle East. And no wonder — Islamic notes have a captive and asset-starved investor base, which tends to ensure strong secondary performance. It is an ideal product for times of stress such as those brought about by plummeting oil prices. Andy Cairns, head of origination and distribution at National Bank of Abu Dhabi explained that Islamic accounts are buy and hold so there is less secondary liquidity in Sukuk than in conventional bonds. Consequently it is a product that frequently underperforms in strong markets but outperforms in tougher times. Sukuk offers issuers access to an underserved pool of Islamic investors.

Albaraka Turk Kat?l?m Bankas? (Albaraka Türk), has mandated seven banks to arrange a Basel III compliant Reg S tier two subordinated sukuk — only the second from Turkey and the first in sukuk format.
The roadshow for the bond starts on Friday, with meetings taking place in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

In an unexpected move, Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) pulled out of Albaraka Türk's latest $450m murabaha loan because it did not think the loan was Shariah compliant, according to two bankers on the deal. Turkish participation bank Albaraka Türk has signed a $450m-equivalent one year loan, which it increased from the $400m launch size.

Turkish participation bank Albaraka Türk will sign its murabaha loan next week and increase the deal from the $400m launch size, according to bankers on the deal. The deal is comprised of a 367 day tranche with a margin of 110bp and a two year and three day tranche paying 125bp, according to one banker on the deal.

Turkish participation bank Albaraka Türk is set to close books for its $400m-equivalent murabaha loan next week. Albaraka Turk is expected to sign the loan in mid-September, according to a banker on the deal. The $400m-equivalent deal has one year and two year tranches in euros and dollars.

Indonesian airline Garuda Indonesia has mandated a total of 15 banks to arrange its first dollar outing, which will be executed in sukuk format. The company has chosen National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) as sole global co-ordinator. Dubai Islamic Bank and NBAD are working as joint structuring banks.

QIB (UK), the London arm of Qatar Islamic Bank, has hired an experienced banker as its head of treasury. Anthony Lee joins the bank in London having previously served as head of treasury and investments at Doha Bank in Qatar. At QIB (UK), Lee takes over leading the treasury effort from Haissam Saleh, who has been acting head since July last year.

Johor Corp (JCorp), a Malaysian state-owned firm, plans to list an Islamic real estate investment trust (Reit) holding MR900m ($253.22m) in assets by the third quarter of this year.

The State Bank of Pakistan has added to its Islamic finance push with the hire of a well known market specialist. Yavar Moini, the former head of Islamic finance at Morgan Stanley, has joined SBP as a director in Islamic banking.

The International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm) has given initial price thoughts of mid-to-high teens of basis points over three month Libor as it looks to price a debut dollar sukuk. The Reg S deal will be a three year benchmark-sized floating rate note. Standard Chartered is acting as global co-ordinator, with Barwa Bank CIMB, National Bank of Abu Dhabi and NCB Capital the other joint bookrunners. Books are open.

The autumn sukuk pipeline already looks likely to include the first Turkish corporate sukuk from Dogus Group, as well as sovereign issues from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Luxembourg, Pakistan, Sharjah, Tunisia and Turkey. September is typically seen as the earliest that borrowers can expect to find a receptive Gulf investor base. But this year there are good reasons for breaking with tradition, particularly for borrowers who are more novel than others. Ramadan will have finished by the end of July and those borrowers who are not largely dependent on the GCC can steal a lead on the pack. There is good sense in being ahead of the queue since markets can turn. A bad secondary performance by any one deal can quickly dampen appetite for those that follow. Moreover, the proximity of other borrowers can also force compromises.

Turkish participation bank Kuveyt Turk has launched a $500m five year sukuk at 340bp over mid-swaps, the tight end of refined guidance, after drawing $3.25bn of orders. Kuveyt Turk gave initial price thoughts of 375bp over mid-swaps on Wednesday, but tightened guidance to a 350bp plus or minus 10bp range on Thursday morning as books passed $2.25bn. Books went subject at 11am in London. The banks arranging the transaction are Citigroup, Emirates NBD, HSBC, Kuwait Finance House and Standard Chartered.

Two key growth areas for international capital markets are set come together in the first green and socially responsible sukuk offerings, writes Dan Alderson. The World Bank is endorsing the product through involvement in two new projects due this year. The Washington supranational’s ambition of issuing its own dollar sukuk is hampered by its mostly conventional asset base. But its UK-based affiliate the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm) is looking to do a debut sukuk to fund vaccinations in 53 of the world’s poorest countries.

Albaraka Turk takes up sukuk baton after Turkiye Finans. Albaraka Turk has picked arrangers as it aims to follow participation bank peer Turkiye Finans's recent return to the dollar sukuk market. But one investor warned that Albaraka may find its deal more challenging. Albaraka Turk is looking to issue up to $500m of five year paper and has asked BNP Paribas, Emirates NBD, QInvest and Standard Chartered to manage the sale. Albaraka filed to the Istanbul Bourse, but leads could not confirm the mandate or say if a roadshow will follow.

Turkiye Finans has completed a $500m bond issue. The issue is rated -/-/BBB and its maturity is April 24, 2019. The issue/fixed reoffer price is 100 with a profit rate of 5.375%. The spread at reoffer was 363.4bp over mid-swaps. The bonds were launched on Tuesday April 15, payment date is April 24. Joint bookrunners are Citi, Emirates NBD, HSBC, QInvest.