Banco de Bogota Bond Gets BBB Minus Rating

Fitch and S&P have each assigned a BBB minus rating with stable outlook to Banco de Bogota’s proposed USD senior unsecured notes. Colombia’s second largest lender is looking to raise a total of $1bn to in the bond and loan markets to pay back a 1-year $1.2bn bridge loan used for acquisition financing. The borrower was due to wrap up meetings with bond investors in New York and Los Angeles Thursday with Citi, HSBC and JPMorgan. Banco de Bogota is heard considering a $500m bond with a possible 10-year tenor, according to an investor who met with the name, but nothing had been announced as of late Thursday. Banco de Bogota is in the process of syndicating a $500m 3-year loan at Libor+225bp.