Romania raises 1 bln euro in Eurobonds sale, closes 2017 external financing plan

Demand for the issue, which bears a coupon of 2.375% and matures in April 2027, was strong with 140 orders worth nearly 2 billion euro placed, the finance ministry said in a press release.

"The level of demand and the yield obtained from the Eurobond sale yesterday confirms once again the confidence of investors in the Romanian economy and its perspectives," finance minister Ionut Misa said in the statement.

According to the ministry, with the transaction, Romania closes its 2017 external financing plan.

This is Romania's second Eurobond sale this year after the country raised 1.75 billion euro in April. On April 11, Romania raised 1 billion euro from the sale of Eurobonds from the same 10-year issue at 2.41%, while an additional 750 million eurocame in from a 2035 Eurobond reopening at 3.55%.

Geographically, the distribution of investors in Tuesday's Eurobond sale was: 18% from Romania, 17% from the UK, 17% from central and eastern Europe, 14% from Germany and Austria, 10% from France and Benelux, 6% from Italy, 5% from Switzerland, 4% from the US, 3% from Scandinavia, and 6% from other countries.

According to the type of investors, fund managers predominated with 63%, followed by commercial banks with 24%, pension funds and insurance companies with 9% and central banks and official institutions with 4%.

The issue was managed by Barclays Bank PLC, Citigroup Global Markets Limited, Erste Group Bank, Societe Generale and ING Bank.

At the beginning of March, the finance ministry said it plans to sell about 2.5-3.0 billion euro worth of Eurobonds on the international markets and some 48-50 billion lei worth of leu-denominated domestic debt this year.

In June, the ministry said it plans to sell 7.5 billion euro worth of Eurobonds on the international markets in 2018 and 2019.

($=0.8485 euro)