The accolade highlights SM Investments’ leadership in the capital markets and reflects the strong confidence of global investors in the company’s financial stability and growth potential, the company said in a statement.
The IFR Asia cited SM Investments’ return to the US dollar bond market after a decade as a significant milestone for the Philippine corporate sector.
The $500-million bond issuance, the largest five-year deal by a Philippine corporation in 2024, reopened the market amid volatile conditions and was successfully priced at a competitive 35 basis points.
“This landmark transaction represents a major milestone for both SM Investments and the Philippine capital markets. The strong demand from investors reflects confidence in Philippine corporate issuers and underscores SM’s reputation as a stable and well-managed investment option,” said Erwin G. Pato, EVP for treasury, finance and planning at SM Investments.
The issuance attracted significant investor interest due to the scarcity of Philippine corporate bonds in recent years. This was SM Investments’ first bond issuance since its $350-million 10-year note in June 2014.
The transaction was arranged by leading global financial institutions, with HSBC, JP Morgan, Standard Chartered, and UBS acting as joint lead managers and joint bookrunners. BDO Capital and Chinabank Capital also participated as joint lead managers. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
