
Hella Infra Market unit plans dollar bond sale of up to $350 million, bankers say
The company conducted a deal roadshow last week and has mandated bankers for the issue, the bankers said.
India Infra will look to sell bonds with a maturity of three years to three-year and six months, the bankers said, adding that the notes are expected to be rated Ba3 by Moody's and B+(sf) by Fitch Ratings.
The company has mandated HSBC as the left lead bookrunner and Barclays, DBS Bank, Deutsche Bank, and Emirates NBD Bank PJSC as joint bookrunners, it said in a regulatory filing.
The bookrunners will arrange a series of fixed income investor meetings and calls in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the U.S. commencing from Tuesday, according to the filing.
The proceeds would be used to purchase rupee-denominated bonds, which will be issued by Hella Infra, the company's statement showed.
India Infra did not reply to a Reuters mail seeking clarification on the amount of the fundraise.
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The Independent
25 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trump's tariff pressure pushes Asia toward American LNG, but at the cost of climate goals
Asian countries are offering to buy more U.S. liquefied natural gas in negotiations with the Trump administration as a way to alleviate tensions over U.S. trade deficits and forestall higher tariffs. Analysts warn that strategy could undermine those countries' long-term climate ambitions and energy security. Buying more U.S. LNG has topped the list of concessions Asian countries have offered in talks with Washington over President Donald Trump 's sweeping tariffs on foreign goods. Vietnam's Prime Minister underlined the need to buy more of the super-chilled fuel in a government meeting, and the government signed a deal in May with an American company to develop a gas import hub. JERA, Japan's largest power generator, signed new 20-year contracts last month to purchase up to 5.5 million metric tons of U.S. gas annually starting around 2030. U.S. efforts to sell more LNG to Asia predate the Trump administration, but they've gained momentum with his intense push to win trade deals. Liquefied natural gas, or LNG, is natural gas cooled to a liquid form for easy storage and transport that is used as a fuel for transport, residential cooking and heating and industrial processes. Trump discussed cooperation on a $44 billion Alaska LNG project with South Korea, prompting a visit by officials to the site in June. The U.S. president has promoted the project as a way to supply gas from Alaska's vast North Slope to a liquefication plant at Nikiski in south-central Alaska, with an eye largely on exports to Asian countries while bypassing the Panama Canal Thailand has offered to commit to a long-term deal for American fuel and shown interest in the same Alaska project to build a nearly 810-mile (1,300-kilometer) pipeline that would funnel gas from The Philippines is also considering importing gas from Alaska while India is mulling a plan to scrap import taxes on U.S. energy shipments to help narrow its trade surplus with Washington. 'Trump has put pressure on a seeming plethora of Asian trading partners to buy more U.S. LNG,' said Tim Daiss, at the APAC Energy Consultancy, pointing out that Japan had agreed to buy more despite being so 'awash in the fuel' that it was being forced to cancel projects and contracts to offload the excess to Asia's growing economies. 'Not good for Southeast Asia 's sustainability goals,' he said. LNG deals could derail renewable ambitions Experts say LNG purchasing agreements can slow adoption of renewable energy in Asia. Locking into long-term deals could leave countries with outdated infrastructure as the world shifts rapidly toward cleaner energy sources like solar or wind that offer faster, more affordable ways to meet growing power demand, said Indra Overland, head of the Center for Energy Research at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. Building pipelines, terminals, and even household gas stoves creates systems that are expensive and difficult to replace—making it harder to switch to renewables later. 'And you're more likely then to get stuck for longer,' he said. Energy companies that profit from gas or coal are powerful vested interests, swaying policy to favor their business models, he said. LNG burns cleaner than coal, but it's still a fossil fuel that emits greenhouse gases and contributes to climate change. Many LNG contracts include 'take-or-pay' clauses, obliging governments to pay even if they don't use the fuel. Christopher Doleman of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis warns that if renewable energy grows fast, reducing the need for LNG, countries may still have to pay for gas they no longer need. Pakistan is an example. Soaring LNG costs drove up electricity prices, pushing consumers to install rooftop solar panels. As demand for power drops and gas supply surges, the country is deferring LNG shipments and trying to resell excess fuel. The LNG math doesn't add up Experts said that although countries are signaling a willingness to import more U.S. LNG, they're unlikely to import enough to have a meaningful impact on U.S. trade deficits. South Korea would need to import 121 million metric tons of LNG in a year — 50% more than the total amount of LNG the U.S. exported globally last year and triple what South Korea imported, said Doleman. Vietnam — with a trade surplus with the U.S. twice the size of Korea's — would need to import 181 million metric tons annually, more than double what the U.S. exported last year. Other obstacles stand in the way. The Alaska LNG project is widely considered uneconomic. Both coal and renewable energy in Asia are so much cheaper that U.S. gas would need to cost less than half its current price to compete. Tariffs on Chinese steel could make building building gas pipelines and LNG terminals more expensive, while longstanding delays to build new gas turbines mean new gas power projects may not come online until 2032. Meanwhile, a global glut in LNG will likely drive prices lower, making it even harder for countries to justify locking into long-term deals with the United States at current higher prices. LNG deals raise energy security concerns Committing to long-term U.S. LNG contracts could impact regional energy security at a time of growing geopolitical and market uncertainties, analysts said. A core concern is over the longterm stability of the U.S. as a trading partner, said Overland. 'The U.S. is not a very predictable entity. And to rely on energy from there is a very risky proposition,' he said. LNG only contributes to energy security when it's available and affordable, says Dario Kenner of Zero Carbon Analytics. 'That's the bit that they leave out ... But it's pretty important,' he said. This was the concern during the recent potential disruptions to fuel shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and earlier during the war in Ukraine, when LNG cargoes originally destined for Asia were rerouted to Europe. Despite having contracts, Asian countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were outbid by European buyers. 'Events in Europe, which can seem very far away, can have an impact on availability and prices in Asia,' Kenner said. Asian countries can improve their energy security and make progress toward cutting carbon emissions by building more renewable energy, he said, noting there is vast room for that given that only about 1% of Southeast Asia's solar and wind potential is being used. 'There are genuine choices to meet rising electricity demand. It is not just having to build LNG,' he said. ___ Jintamas Saksornchai in Bangkok contributed to this report. ___ Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receive support from several private foundations. See more about AP's climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.


Reuters
26 minutes ago
- Reuters
Japan's markets brace for election impact on JGBs, yen
TOKYO, July 18 (Reuters) - Heading into the most consequential Japanese upper house election in memory and a possible defeat for the coalition of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, investors are weighing whether a record sell-off in the nation's debt has further to run. Japanese government bonds (JGBs) plunged this week, sending yields on 30-year debt to an all-time high, while the yen slid to multi-month lows against the U.S. dollar and the euro. Polls have only gotten worse for Ishiba's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and junior coalition partner Komeito in the final run-up to Sunday's vote, where upstart parties campaigning on increased spending and tax cuts are likely to gain seats. These are the main scenarios investors and analysts are considering: The LDP coalition retains its majority Analysts generally say the most bullish case for the JGB market and the yen is if the government can hold on to a majority. The government's overall debt burden, while still the highest in the developed world at about 250% of gross domestic product, is on a declining trend. "It is difficult to conclude that Japan's fiscal condition is on a path of continuous deterioration," said Koichi Fujishiro, an economist at the Dai-ichi Life Research Institute. "Once the upper house election is over, upward pressure on interest rates stemming from expectations of increased fiscal spending may begin to ease." A victory for Ishiba's coalition would likely see a recovery for the JGB market, where an eight-day sell-off sent yields on 30-year debt up 35 basis points (bps) to a record 3.20% on Tuesday. "If this scenario plays out, some of the JGB shorts look vulnerable, as Ishiba is expected to resist talk of debt-financed tax cuts," Standard Chartered analysts said in a note. LDP coalition is weakened, and Ishiba steps aside An increasingly likely outcome is that Ishiba's coalition fails to win the 50 seats needed to retain its upper house majority, forcing it to seek additional partnerships. Among the most likely candidates is the Democratic Party for the People (DPP), which has urged the Bank of Japan to reverse course and again loosen monetary policy. The surge in JGB yields this week was the market pricing in such a scenario, said Takashi Fujiwara, chief fund manager at Resona Asset Management's fixed income investment division. Within the LDP, a leading candidate to replace Ishiba, should he be forced to step down, is Abenomics proponent Sanae Takaichi, who has advocated for a resumption of monetary easing by the BOJ. The resulting political uncertainty from an Ishiba resignation could be a trigger for foreign investors to sell Japanese shares and the yen, according to analysts, with TD predicting the dollar-yen rate could "easily break above" the 200-day moving average of 149.70. For Japanese stocks, though, a sell-off may be temporary, as the overall framework and policies of the LDP are likely to remain intact, said Yugo Tsuboi, the chief strategist at Daiwa Securities. On the contrary, "if Ishiba stays, that's negative for stocks, because political uncertainties will remain, which the market doesn't like," Tsuboi said. Outsider parties make major gains Analysts say that a strong showing by outsider parties on Sunday would be the most disruptive to Japan's markets. All three leading opposition parties back some form of consumption tax cuts, with the populist, right-wing Sanseito proposing a phase-out of VAT altogether. "If the DPP and Sanseito, which are calling for an increase in JGB issuance, fare even better than in the polls, we could see even further bear-steepening," Barclays analysts wrote in a note, referring to a sharper rise in longer-dated bond yields than shorter-dated ones. They estimate that a 5 percentage point cut to Japan's sales tax, currently at 10%, would lead to a 15-20 basis point increase in the 30-year yield. A coalition government of opposition parties would be expected to abolish the consumption tax and gasoline levies, paying for it with increased JGBs, Societe Generale's Jin Kenzaki said in a note. The chances of that outcome are only about 10%, Kenzaki wrote, but in such an event, "long-term interest rates will rise significantly from the beginning of the term and remain high."


Reuters
26 minutes ago
- Reuters
Rangebound patterns tighten rupee's correlation with Indian stocks
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