High-grade deal of the year: Agence France Trésor’s €6 billion 50-year OAT

After a year’s preparation, the French sovereign managed to combine innovation with excellent execution.

At a glance:
Deal type:
50-year obligation assimilable au trésor
Deal size: €6 billion
Lead managers: Barclays Capital, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, HSBC
Date: February 2005


Agence France Trésor enhanced its reputation for pushing at the frontiers of the sovereign debt sector with its €6 billion 50-year 4% OAT, due 2055. No issuer had previously gone that far down the euro yield curve. This transaction was the first step in the creation of a new segment in the curve and was highly significant given that retirement savings are increasingly being invested in long-dated securities.

“It was something we thought about for a good year before making the decision,” says Bertrand de Mazières, chief executive at Agence France Trésor.

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