The success of the transaction, with over EUR 10bn of combined demand, is a strong testimony of the confidence institutional investors have in the Republic of Slovenia, and particularly in its role in financing and achieving high environment and social goals.

The transaction priced at 5:03 pm CET. The new EUR 1.25bn 10-year Sustainability offering priced with a coupon of 3.625 percent and a reoffer spread of 10y MS+77bps, offering a 3.654 percent reoffer yield, whilst the reopening of the August 2045 bonds priced with a reoffer spread of MS+137bps, representing a 3.922 percent yield.

On Tuesday, 3rd January 2023, at 11:00 CET and on the back of stable market conditions, Slovenia announced the mandate for its second Sustainability Benchmark bond offering concurrent to a tap of Slovenia’s 3.125 percent outstanding bonds due 7 August 2045. That same day, Investors were also invited to join a presentation of the country’s updated Sustainability Bond Framework at a Global investor call at 2:00 pm CET, as well as to select 1-on-1 investor calls.

After gathering supportive investor feedback, books were opened the following morning, on Wednesday at 9:03am CET with initial guidance of MS+90bps area and MS+145bps area for the 10-year and 2045 reopening respectively, representing a 17bps concession to the issuer’s existing curve for both.

Before noon CET, investor orders were already in excess of EUR 5.5bn (including EUR 350mm JLM interest) and EUR 1.7bn (including EUR 25mm of JLM interest) respectively, allowing Slovenia to revise the 10-year spread down to MS+80bps (+/- 3bps WPIR) and MS+140bps (+/- 3bps WPIR) for the tap.

Books shortly peaked above EUR 7.8bn (including EUR 470mm JLM interest) for the 10-year (March 2033) bond and EUR 2.9bn (including EUR 45mm JLM interest) for the 2045 tap, allowing Slovenia to launch the transaction at the tighter end of the ranges and set the spreads at MS+77ps and MS+137bps respectively, at 12:51pm CET.

BNP Paribas, Citi, Deutsche Bank, Erste Group (B&D), Nova KBM and UniCredit jointly led the offering. BNP Paribas acted as sole sustainability structuring advisor on the update of Slovenia’s Sustainability Bond Framework.

The proceeds from Slovenia’s Sustainability Bond will fund government investments that contribute positively to the Republic’s environmental and social goals, and further promote and develop the domestic and international green, social and/or sustainability bond market. Slovenia’s Sustainability Bond Frame can be found on the web page for investors.

Geographical distribution

10-year                                                                               

28 percent Germany / Austria / Switzerland                       

19.8 percent France / Benelux                                                  

13 percent UK / Ireland                                                            

11.5 percent Slovenia                                                                 

9.4 percent Southern Europe                                                    

7.7 percent Scandinavia                                                              

6.2 percent CEE                                                                            

2.3 percent Rest of World                                                           

2.1 percent Other Europe                                                          

Tap of 2045s

24.5 percent Germany / Austria / Switzerland

19.2 percent UK / Ireland

16.3 percent Southern Europe

14.0 percent Slovenia

10.4 percent Scandinavia

8.0 percent Other Europe

3.5 percent France / Benelux

2.2 percent Rest of the World

1.9 percent CEE

Institutional distribution

10-year                                                                               

50 percent Asset Manager/ Pension Fund / Insurance    

36.8 percent Bank / Private Bank                                             

10 percent Central Bank / Official Institution                      

3.1 percent Hedge Fund                                                             

0.1 percent Other                                                                        

Tap of 2045s

46.6 percent Asset Manager/ Pension Fund / Insurance

40.8 percent Bank / Private Bank

6.8 percent Hedge Fund

5.6 percent Central Bank / Official Institution

0.2 percent Other