Axis Bank To Raise $500 Million Via Bonds

India's third-largest private sector lender Axis Bank is raising $500 million by selling bonds with five-and-a-half-year maturity. According to an executive of Standard Chartered Bank, a banker to the issue, the bond is expected to be priced 195 basis points over the five-year US treasury, which was trading at about 1.58% on Monday. One basis point is 0.01 percentage point.

"It is a $500-million bond issue and the book has been oversubscribed four times," said the executive.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services assigned 'BBB-' long-term issue rating to a proposed issue. The rating on the notes reflects the long-term counterparty credit rating on the bank. "The proposed notes will constitute direct, unconditional, unsecured, and unsubordinated obligations of Axis Bank. They shall, at all times, rank at par among themselves and with all other unsecured obligations of the bank," the rating company said.

"It is to be seen if banks would swap the dollar funds raised overseas into rupee. Most of the issuers could keep the proceeds in dollar form to fund their overseas branches and Indian corporates to expand offshore," said Harihar Krishnamoorthy, head treasurer at FirstRand Bank.

ICICI Bank, recently, raised about $600 million through Renminbi-denominated notes at a coupon of 4.2%. (Image: Axis Bank)