On April 12, Panama's state-owned electric company began the marketing stage for the potential issuance of international bonds, which would be at least $500 million.
"Once the issuer's international risk ratings have been obtained and after several months of arduous preparation, we are ready to market among the most important investors in the United States, Europe and Latin America, our company's first long-term bond issue," explained Gilberto Ferrari, general manager of Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica, S.A. (ETESA).
The Ministry of Finance reported that the placement was made through an extraordinary auction of domestic debt securities in the local primary market.
Costa Rican authorities informed that the collection was made through fixed rate securities in dollars with expiration in 2024, 2026 and 2029, and was assigned to 15 different stock exchange positions.
The latest risk ratings for the issuance of long-term debt of Central American economies identify Panama as the most attractive country to invest in.
On March 8, Moody's decided to raise its long-term issuer rating in foreign currency from Baa2 to Baa1, arguing that the outlook remains more favorable in the medium term.
Faced with the Costa Rican government's plans to issue $6 billion in debt over six years, the productive sector demands that "parallel and complementary actions for economic reactivation" must be implemented.
Currently, the deputies of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica have in their hands the bill that would authorize the government to issue debt securities in the international market (Eurobonds), a proposal that contemplates that in the first two years $1.5 billion are issued each year, and that in the remaining four $3 billion are issued.
Consistent with the behavior of recent years, up to October 2018 the number of credit cards circulating in Costa Rica totaled 2.98 million, 14% more than in the same month of 2017.
From the report of the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC):
The last quarterly study of credit and debit cards, as of October 31, 2018, conducted by the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC), through the Directorate of Economic and Market Research, determined that in nine years, the number of credit cards in the country increased 125%, representing a total of 2,984,769 plastics in circulation of which 1,976,522 are holders and 1,008,247 are additional plastics, i.e. linked to a cardholder.
The Ministry of Finance issued Treasury bonds in local currency in an amount equivalent to $17.5 million for a 20-year term.
From the Ministerio de Finanzas Públicas press release (equivalent to the US Department of the Treasury):
March 5, 2019. The Ministerio de Finanzas Públicas [Roughly equivalent to the US Department of the Treasury] held the sixth issuance event of Treasury Bonds of the Republic of Guatemala for the 2019 Fiscal Year, in which a 20-year term series was opened for the first time, for the maturity date 17/05/2039, with a coupon rate of 7.6250%, observing that of the total demand 64% corresponds to such series, which results in the confidence of investors in public securities, whose results are the following:
Up to November 2018 in Panama, bank debt by credit cards totaled $2.464 million, 9% more than in the same month of 2017.
Figures from the Superintendence of Banks specify that in one-year credit card debt increased by $212 million, going from $2.252 million in November 2017 to $2.464 million in the same month of 2018.
Regarding the levels of indebtedness reported in the country, Olmedo Estada, secretary general of the College of Economists of Panama, explained to Prensa.com that "... if the person does not know how to manage his/her finances, he/she will quickly reach the top of the credit card and when that happens, he/she will not be able to pay even the minimum quota, which will generate interest on interests and when he/she realizes he/she owes double or triple of what was really approved."
Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica de Panamá was authorized to make one or more issues and reopen securities in international markets for up to $750 million.
The issuance will take place in the first half of 2019, will be listed in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and in the Superintendence of the Securities Market of Panama, informed Empresa Eléctrica.
In the exchange of foreign currency debt that took place on February 6, the Ministry of Finance managed to negotiate $165 million of $428 million offered.
Grupo Prival reported that the debt that was swapped expired in 2019, 2020 and 2021, and now the bonds will expire in 2023 and 2026, which will give more looseness to the authorities to manage the country's public finances.
The Ministry of Finance placed Treasury bonds in local currency for the equivalent of $274 million, reaching 12% of the authorized value for fiscal year 2019.
The government reported that the first issuance of the year was for $175 million and took place on January 29, and the second for $99 million was completed on February 5.
The Ministerio de Finanzas Públicas [Roughly equivalent to the US Department of the Treasury] informed on January 29 that "... the first issuance event of Treasury Bonds of the Republic of Guatemala of Fiscal Year 2019 was held, whose results are the following:
Driven by the financial commitments of the Central Government and those originated by pensions, the country's public debt increased 3% at the end of 2018, reaching $18.975 million.
Finance Ministry statistics detail that between 2017 and 2018 the public debt that includes credits contracted by the Central Government, its financial and non-financial public companies, as well as the Central Reserve Bank, increased $602 million, from $18.373 million to $18.975 million.
At the end of last year, Nicaragua's public external debt totaled $5.940 million, 7% more than at the end of 2017.
The Central Bank of Nicaragua reported that "... According to statistics, public external debt totaled $5,940.1 million up to December 2018, representing a $58.3 million net increase over the previous month.
Of this total, US$4,140.7 million are debt with multilateral creditors (69.7%), US$1,748.9 million with bilateral creditors (29.4%) and US$50.5 million with private creditors (0.9%).
Aiming to settle outstanding debts and finance part of the Electric Expansion Plan, in Panama Etesa will issue rotating bonds in the local market for up to $300 million, with a term of no more than ten years.
The issue has already been approved by the Board of Directors of Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica S.A. (Etesa), by the National Economic Council and by the Cabinet Council, so that the bonds are placed in public auction, privately, by order book or any other method.
"The tightening of global financing conditions is a concern for Central American countries with large current account deficits or those highly dependent on capital flows."
According to the report "World Economic Outlook - January 2019" compiled by the World Bank (WB), countries with a high external debt burden would be at risk if a sudden change in investor confidence in emerging market and developing economies were to occur.
Because of fiscal uncertainty, in the first months of 2018, banks operating in the country reduced by 16% the amount invested in public debt securities in the local market.
Against the backdrop of doubts about the future of public finances in Costa Rica, it was reported that from January to September, 14 local public and private banks invested $3.190 million in government bonds.