Blue chips are ripe for conversion

With the reliable income of a bond and the growth potential of an equity, convertibles appeal to a large set of investors. The only thing holding back the growth of Euroconvertibles has been the dearth of quality issuers. But now, as Nigel Dudley reports, new structures are bringing some major borrowers into the sector for the first time.

A tale of two emerging markets

Although they form a global market worth more than $350 billion – and have a pedigree dating back more than a century – convertible bonds are all still regarded in many quarters as exotic and obscure instruments. Often associated with start-up or high-risk corporate borrowers, most convertibles are still domestic US issues.

But convertibles are coming into the mainstream of the international capital markets. Partly this reflects their growing use in emerging markets.

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