DM round-up: Hybrid on high yield

Corporate hybrid has moved beyond investment grade. The development is significant for the leveraged finance community – it’s one thing persuading buyers to invest in the subordinated debt of an investment-grade company, but finding investors receptive to one from a BB/Ba2 credit is quite another. Hedge funds and certain other institutional investors were reluctant to get involved. Yet German tourism and shipping company Tui was able to raise €300 million of perpetual (non-call seven) debt rated B+/B1 via Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, HVB and RBS. The coupon was 8.625%. Those going for the issue, of whom a big proportion are retail investors, certainly deserve that coupon given that this is a highly cyclical business. The deal was part of a €1.3 billion offering to refinance short-term acquisition funding of CP Ships.