Mexican cement maker Cemex SAB de CV is returning to global markets after a nearly two-year hiatus to sell $1 billion of green securities.
(Bloomberg) — Mexican cement maker Cemex SAB de CV is returning to global markets after a nearly two-year hiatus to sell $1 billion of green securities.
The perpetual notes, offered with a call option after 5.25 years, will be used to finance or refinance eligible green projects, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because they’re not authorized to speak about it. They launched with a yield of 9.125%, slightly below earlier guidance of 9.25%, the person added.
Cemex’s notes come with potential coupon step-ups. If the company doesn’t call the securities when eligible, the coupon is set to climb by 25 basis points. Another increase could occur later, hinging on whether the company is junk- or investment-grade rated. The cement maker is currently scored BB+, the highest junk-rated level, by S&P Global Ratings.
While Cemex has a plan to reduce leverage and eventually clinch a higher credit score, some on Wall Street say the yield isn’t enough to compensate for being a risky emerging-market company.
“The writing is already on the wall that they’re going to be investment grade,” said Ayman Ahmed, an investor at Thornburg Investment Management Inc., who doesn’t regularly buy perpetual notes. “I can find better value in some high-yielding US bonds in equally volatile sectors.”
The proposed hybrid securities, meantime, are rated B+ by S&P, or four levels below investment grade. BBVA, BNP Paribas, BofA Securities, IMI-Intesa Sanpaolo and JPMorgan Chase & Co. are running the deal.
A spokesperson for Cemex didn’t immediately respond to request for comment.
Cemex has been clawing its way back to investment grade after S&P cut it to junk in 2009. It’s also been working to pare back the amount of greenhouse gas caused by cement production, insisting that new technology will help cut emissions.
On average, Cemex’s dollar debt has handed investors loses of 1.2% so far this year, according to data compiled from a Bloomberg index. The company’s $1 billion of perpetual notes sold in 2021, which are eligible to be called in 2026, have been lingering near 91 cents so far this year, according to Trace price data.
While the green securities will be the first of their kind for Cemex, the firm has previously raised cash tied to environmental, social and governance goals.
In October, it closed a €500 million ($533 million) sustainability-linked loan. And Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria’s Mexican unit in November made available a credit line of 1.6 billion pesos ($88 million) to Cemex suppliers that meet sustainability requirements.
–With assistance from Michael O’Boyle and Esteban Duarte.
(Updates with launch detail throughout. Adds chart, debt prices in ninth paragraph.)
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