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By Josie Cox LONDON, Oct 14 (IFR) -
At least three corporates are eyeing possible hybrid bonds as soon as conditions permit, as they seek to make the most of low interest rates and safeguard their credit ratings while taking advantage of healthy investor appetite, bankers said.
"Hybrids are in fashion again.
There is a good dialogue and reverse inquiry," said Antoine Loudenot,
head of capital structuring at Societe Generale, adding that the only thing preventing issuance was the ongoing volatility in the markets.
In addition to German utility EnBW, which mandated five banks at the end of August, there are thought to be at least two more companies with an interest in launching deals once conditions stabilise.
"Expectations for (the hybrids) to come this side of the month are not great -- because sovereign risk and bank risk is too high and is having an impact on the rest of the market -- but it would not be totally uncanny to see something in the next few weeks."
Dominic Kerr, of European corporate origination at HSBC added that "there might be more than one major UK blue chip taking another serious look at hybrids right now."
Utilities, Loudenot said, were prime issuance candidates and could prove particularly popular.
They are predictable credits and therefore liked by investors. EnBW, having already completed a roadshow with Barclays Capital, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Societe Generale, is eyeing a deal as a way of protecting its credit rating.
"Out of all the German utilities EnBW is probably most at risk of being hurt severely by the new nuclear policies in Germany," a London-based credit analyst said, adding that a hybrid issue was a sensible defensive move which could protect its current rating.
The equity-like characteristics of hybrids can help preserve credit quality, an objective considered paramount by many in today's economic climate [ID:nL5E7L60UD].
According to Barclays Capital, the spread differential between Double B and Triple B issuers has increased to approximately 350bp from around 125bp in March, when spreads touched their tightest levels in two years.
A deal for EnBW has yet to materialize but the leads remain confident the plans will eventually come to fruition.
"Volatility levels were too high at the time and the unpredictability implied too much risk. It is by no means off the cards though, and we are thinking about a timeline for the issue," Loudenot said.
EnBW spokesman Ulrich Schroeder said the company was "not under any time pressure" but would "go to the market when the conditions are right."
A SWEET DEAL Corporate hybrid bonds, a popular M&A funding tool in 2006, saw their values plummet significantly during the 2008 crisis.
But corporates' current relative safe-haven status, coupled with the low interest rate environment, means there is nothing stopping hybrids from regaining a foothold in the market.
Depending on their structure, hybrids enable cheaper and speedier capital raising than rights issues, whilst not upsetting shareholders by diluting their holdings. Coupons on hybrid bonds are also tax deductible.
One repeat issuer said hybrids certainly did offer a very sweet deal at the moment.
"If we had funding needs then a hybrid bond would certainly be the tool that we would consider very carefully," a source at the company said. INVESTOR INTEREST With plenty of liquidity to play with, investors are also cherishing hybrids as a relatively attractive option.
"On the investor side there are a number of players who think that a hybrid from a major blue chip would be a great investment, once the market normalises," Kerr said. "From the right candidates they offer a very significant premium to senior, very low chance of default,