Japanese investors seek credit plays

The spectacular revival of the samurai, Euroyen and global yen markets, begun in the second half of 1999, has continued this year and shows no sign of abating. Bankers expect the queue of corporate and sovereign borrowers to remain long for the rest of the year and for Japanese buyers and international investors moving into yen bonds to keep on buying corporate and even emerging market issues on the primary and secondary markets.

The yen-denominated corporate credit market has become one of the most dynamic sectors of the capital markets. In January this year, Ford raised ¥100 billion ($948 million), the largest ever Euroyen corporate issue. Other international corporate issuers of yen bonds this year have included Procter&Gamble, McDonald’s and DaimlerChrysler. Westpac Banking Group issued in January the First global yen bond for a commercial bank when it raised ¥50 billion. “Up to last summer there were just a few sovereign and supranational names.

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