Ayala returns to local debt market more than 10x oversubscribed

MANILA – Four years since it last tapped the local debt market, Ayala Corporation returns big via a debt securities program that is more than10 times oversubscribed. During the virtual listing ceremony led by the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp., Ayala Corporation President and CEO Fernando Zobel de Ayala said the successful issuance of the first tranche of the company’s P30 billion debt securities program, which raised P10 billion in proceeds, will support Ayala’s strategic priorities: strengthening and recalibrating its diverse portfolio and repositioning the company for a post-pandemic economic recovery.

“The Ayala group has always been and continues to be an active participant of the capital markets,” said Zobel. “During this [health] crisis, Ayala Corp., Ayala Land, BPI, Globe, Manila Water, and AC Energy raised over P190 billion pesos in combined proceeds from the domestic and international capital markets to allow us to take advantage of opportunities and further solidify our balance sheet during these challenging times.”

The oversubscription of the offering allowed Ayala Corporation to price at the lowest end of the marketing range, carrying a coupon of 3.0260% and 3.7874% for the 3-year and 5-year tenor, respectively. Moreover, this offering is the largest 5-year allocation among dual tranche offers during the pandemic, a reflection of the market’s confidence of in Ayala’s long-term stability and credit strength.

“We are delighted to see that investor interest remained high, with demand from both retail and institutional investors reaching over P60 Billion,” Zobel added.

Zobel, meanwhile, lauded the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PDS Group for launching the country's first Electronic Securities Issue Portal called eSIP, which would eliminate voluminous paper-based submissions and expand a company's reach by selling securities online. Ayala Corporation and Ayala Land were the first companies to utilize the e-SIP system. In his remarks, Securities & Exchange Commission Chairperson Emilio Aquino thanked Ayala Corporation for playing an important role in realizing the “capital market's potential to sustain our economy's expansion and bring growth to every Filipino.”

“As issuers, you create legitimate investments opportunities. And through the capital market, you make them accessible and thereby allow fellow Filipinos to share with your business success. By pursuing your expansion projects responsibly and sustainably, more of our fellow Filipinos can be employed and will be able to provide for and secure a better future for their families,” Aquino added.

In addition, Antonio Nakpil, President & CEO of Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corporation, commended Ayala Corporation and Ayala Land for being the pioneer users of the e-SIP portal and for their continued support to local capital markets.

“It is fitting that the Ayala Group, led by Ayala Corp— the longest-standing supporters, constructive contributors, and most active group of issuer participants of the domestic capital market— featured prominently to bookend this month, a milestone in the digitalization timeline for the corporate bond primary market,” Nakpil said.

At Ayala Corporation’s annual stockholders meeting last month, Zobel said the Ayala Group will continue to support the expansion of its core value drivers— Ayala Land, BPI, Globe, and AC Energy. It will also support the growth of emerging businesses, Entrego and AC Health. For 2021, the Ayala Group is allocating a combined capex of P196 billion. (PR)