Falabella Sounds Out Bond Market

Chilean retailer Falabella may be considering a dollar bond transaction, investors say, after a day of meeting the New York buyside last week. The visit was not tied to any planned transaction, nor was it clear if Falabella would look to issue soon. Investors note that dollar issuance from Falabella would need to be sizeable to make it worth going outside Chilean domestic markets, where it is a frequent and well-established AA issuer. Deutsche Bank was managing the meetings, according to investors, though it is not clear if the bank has a specific mandate from the retailer. A Falabella finance official says there are no immediate plans for either dollar or local issuance.