TRANSPORTATION: CMA CGM (CMACG; Ba1/BB+) PRICE TALK
€100m tap of the new €400m 4.75NC1.75; Price Talk at 101.25-101.5 (5.1-5.2%)
- 10-20bps in from IPT, closed yesterday at 102.7/4.7% so coming 40-50bps wide
- books close at 2pm London
- Hasn't traded that low since issuance - priced wide for ratings in primary but we did (& still do not) have a firm view.
It's moving fast here but might be worth looking at this deal. It targets BB corridor so not a rising star (and implies headroom for ratings to move to BB-), but it trades nearly 2% wide to IG peers. Some of that may be the shadow cast by its history; the now pulled 26s were issued at 8%/MS+882 on Caa1/B- ratings in late 2020. Returns were still stellar for those who caught the falling knife - it was pulled ~2yrs later, nearly 6pts above issuance (!). It is a private co and family owned by the Saade's - onto its 2nd generation now.
Positives include a low target dividend payout ratio and firm FY24 guidance (adj. EBITDA to be up yoy) - latter keeping the BS in check for now (it's reporting net 1.3x). This is not a small co; #3 in shipping, #5 in logistics with $50b in revenues - closer to Maersk in size than Hapag. They are both public co's.