Citi
As the go-to house for capital markets and transaction banking in central and eastern Europe, and a market leader in Asia, Citi is ideally placed to serve companies investing along the New Silk Road. The US bank – which boasts an on-the-ground presence in the majority of the Belt and Road countries – is gearing up to take full advantage of its unique position.
It played a leading role in bringing Beijing Gas Group’s $1.1 billion acquisition of a 20% stake in Verkhnechonskneftegaz (VCNG) from Russian state-owned oil giant Rosneft to a successful conclusion, providing a comprehensive financing and banking solution for the buyer.
Agreed in November 2016, it was hailed as a milestone in the energy dialogue between Russia and China.
Citi acted as sole global coordinator for Beijing Gas Group’s $500 million debut five-year Eurobond in May, which attracted more than $1.5 billion of orders from Asian and European investors, and achieved the lowest-ever reoffer yield for a Chinese single-A rated state-owned issuer.
The US house was also the prime mover in arranging a $390 million club loan to finance the acquisition, acting as bookrunner, lender and sole coordinator for the five-bank group. Again, this represented a first in financing terms for Beijing Gas Group. In addition, Citi served as facility agent and security agent, account bank, ODI FX bank, delivery versus payment M&A settlement agent, cash service bank and custodian bank.
The deal engaged Citi teams across seven jurisdictions – China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Moscow, New York, Belgium and Germany – and testified to the bank’s superior structuring and execution capabilities.