NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, OR IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW.
(HONG KONG, 6 January 2022, 1230hrs) – Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) announces that it has successfully priced a US$4.0 billion multi-tranche senior notes offering (the Notes) in Reg S / Rule 144A format. The multi-tranche offering comprises of:
AAHK has successfully set a number of new records on this landmark transaction. This transaction marks the largest US dollar bond offering in size of a Hong Kong issuer since 2003 and the 40-year tranche is the longest tenor benchmark US dollar bond offering of a Hong Kong issuer. The Notes were oversubscribed by multi-times which enabled AAHK to price the Notes well below the initial price guidance.
The Notes were well-received by a diverse group of both conventional and green investors with the 5-year green tranche receiving encouraging demand from global green investors which accounted for 59.4% of final allocation.
More than 200 professional and institutional investors including sovereign wealth funds, asset managers, corporations, banks and insurance companies across Asia, Europe and the United States participated in the transaction.
The 5-year green tranche marks AAHK’s inaugural green bond issuance and builds on the recent momentum in the sustainable finance capital markets. This demonstrates AAHK’s commitment to making Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) one of the world’s greenest airports, and support to HKSAR Government’s policy to promote the development of sustainable finance and to develop Hong Kong as an international sustainable finance hub.
Jack So, Chairman of AAHK said, “We are very pleased with the overwhelming responses from investors around the world, making this bond offering the largest US dollar bond issuance from a Hong Kong issuer since 2003. The successful launch of the 40-year tranche is a solid testament to the support for HKIA’s long-term development as well as the solid credit profile of AAHK.”
The proceeds from the 10-year, 30-year and 40-year tranche will be used to fund AAHK's capital expenditure including the capital expenditure of the Three-runway System project (3RS) and for general corporate purposes. Meanwhile, the proceeds from the 5-year green tranche will be used to fund financing or refinancing, in full or in part of the eligible projects undertaken under the Airport Authority Sustainable Finance Framework (the “Framework”). The issuance and use of proceeds of the 5-year green tranche and eligible projects are governed by the Framework established in November 2021, with a second party opinion provided by Sustainalytics. The 5-year green tranche has also received the Green Finance Certificate (pre-issuance stage) from the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency. Details of the Framework can be found at https://www.hongkongairport.com/en/sustainability/sustainable-finance.page
The Notes are expected to be issued on 12 January 2022, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions precedent and are expected to be listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited.
The Notes are expected to be rated “AA+” by S&P.
The Joint Global Coordinators and Joint Bookrunners are BofA Securities, BNP Paribas, HSBC, J.P. Morgan, Standard Chartered Bank and UBS; and Joint Bookrunners are ANZ, Barclays, Bank of China, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Mizuho Securities and Morgan Stanley. BofA Securities, BNP Paribas, HSBC and UBS also acted as the Joint Green Structuring Advisors.
Summary of investors responses and pricing of the Notes:
|
the 5-year green tranche |
the 10-year tranche |
the 30-year tranche |
the 40-year tranche |
Orderbook |
Over US$3.3 billion |
Over US$3.6 billion |
Over US$2.8 billion |
Over US$1.5 billion |
Oversubscription rate |
3.3x |
3.0x |
2.3x |
2.5x |
Priced at |
5-year UST+42.5 basis points |
10-year UST+80 basis points |
30-year UST+120 basis points |
30-year UST+140 basis points |
Yield of |
1.854% |
2.509% |
3.300% |
3.500% |
Basis points below initial price guidance
|
37.5 |
30.0 |
25.0 |
30.0 |
Allocation % by regions (Asia: Europe: US) |
73%:11%:16% |
|
59%:12%:28% |
|
UST: US Treasury Rate
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