Latin American perpetual bonds surpass expectations

A bull-market product that would crash and burn in the event of a credit crisis: that was the view that many critics held of perpetual bonds – a fundraising instrument that has been all the rage in the region in recent years.

But contrary to popular belief, many of these securities are more than holding their own amid the turbulence in the global capital markets. “They have actually performed relatively well,” says an investment banker. Notes issued by Brazilian steel companies Gerdau and CSN, plastics manufacturer Braskem and investment group GP are all proving a hit with investors and are trading at par or above. Others, such as those perpetual bonds issued by Brazilian sugar and alcohol manufacturer Cosan and budget airline Gol are faring less well but that is more a reflection of problems in their respective industries than with the structure itself.

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