Romanian state-owned bank CEC issues EUR 300 mln MREL bonds

CEC Bank has successfully issued EUR 300 million in Senior Non-Preferential Notes, marking a significant step in its growth in international capital markets. The bonds, issued under the bank's EUR 1.5 billion Medium-Term Note (MTN) Programme, are intended to meet MREL (Minimum Requirement for Own Funds and Eligible Liabilities) compliance and received a BB rating from Fitch Ratings, consistent with the bank's IDR rating.

The bond issue, priced with a coupon of 5.625%, was more than twice oversubscribed, attracting orders exceeding EUR 800 million from a diverse and international investor base. This demand underscores the growing confidence in CEC Bank's financial performance and strategic direction.

"The high level of interest shown by market participants symbolises trust and appreciation for the bank's achievements in recent years," said Ionuț Lianu, Chief Management Officer for Assets and Liabilities at CEC Bank.

This marks the first rated tranche of bonds under CEC Bank's EMTN Programme and its third consecutive year of accessing international capital markets since its debut as an issuer in December 2022.

Maxim Boersig, Head of FIG Origination at Erste Austria, commented: "This impressive transaction, peaking with an order book of over EUR 800 million, paves the way for further successful capital market ventures for CEC Bank."

Théophile Despres, Vice-President at ING CEEMEA DCM, highlighted the pricing achievement, noting that the final pricing was set 37.5 basis points below the initial guidance.

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