SembCorp (U96) Establishing S$5,000,000,000 EURO MEDIUM TERM NOTE.

31 July 2023

SembCorp Industries (SCI) just announced that it has established a S$5,000,000,000 Euro Medium Term Note (MTN)  Programme today and DBS Bank Ltd. has been appointed as the sole arranger and dealer under the Programme.   This MTN is guaranteed by SCI.  Henceforth, SCI’s subsidiaries,  together with SCI  may raise money from this MTN from time to time, subject to certain conditions having been fulfilled.

 

What is the difference between MTN and Bonds?

Both MTN and Bonds are instruments to raise funds except MTN is simple to issue because it is a discrete fund between the 3 parties,  the issuer,  the agent, and the investor.  On the other hand, the issuing of bonds will need a public offering. In the past,   the issuing of bonds had often been perceived as the company was in financial distress.

MTNs are usually sold in small amounts, either continuously or intermittently.

Some companies still prefer to issue bonds because it is more cost-effective;  also,  the bonds allow investment banks to buy the entire issue from the companies and then sell it to the public to earn commissions, etc. The risk of selling is therefore transferred from the companies to the investment bank. 

For more information,  please refer to this article.

 

How will it affect stock prices?

As MTN are like Bonds,  they are instruments of debt.  They will invariably affect stock prices.   But,  the effect of MTN is usually much less than Bonds for the main reason that a public offering of bonds often gives the impression that the company is in distress.   On the other hand, MTN is usually carried out discretely.   Presently,  SCI is only establishing the MTN program.  There are no raising of any debts mentioned.  

The effect may be more only when traders are aware of the real purpose for raising the MTN is not for expansion but for debt servicing. 

 

Examples

When SCI established a S$3 billion Multicurrency Debt Issuance Programme on April 3, 2020,  it caused little or no reaction to the SCI’s prices as shown in the attached chart.  Also,  we have observed no appreciable reactions when SCI or its subsidiaries issued Notes or debts in other periods using this instrument.  

This is also the case when SIA established its $10 billion MTN during the pandemic.  It is only when SIA issued a bond from the MTN that sent the stock price tumbling by as much as 20%

 

Given the above,  we do not foresee that this S$ 5 billion MTN established by SCI will have any material impact on SCI’s trading price at the moment. 

 

Disclaimer:  This article is for information and educational purposes.   Readers are advised to conduct their own research and study to make their own investment decisions.

 

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