BPI Family Savings Bank bond offering raises P9.6B

FILE: BPI branch at Plaza Sta. Cruz, Carriedo, Manila which occupies the Don Roman Santos Building, former head office of Prudential Bank (Photo By noel Gonong (Wikipedia Takes Manila participant) – Uploaded from Wikipedia Takes Manila, CC BY-SA 3.0)

MANILA — BPI Family Savings Bank (BFSB) issued PHP 9.60 billion of bonds and listed them Tuesday on the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. (PDEx).

The bonds, which can now be traded in PDEx, are more than four times oversubscribed and represent BFSB’s first ever foray into the capital markets.

The bank attributed this to robust demand from both institutional investors as well as retail clients.

The proceeds from the issuance will support BFSB’s drive to diversify its investor base and fund its asset expansion, particularly loan growth, digitalization initiatives, and general corporate purposes.

“BFSB has always been committed to help Filipino families achieve their dreams sooner, rather than later. We set the bonds at a comparatively low initial investment price and increments so that more Filipinos can gain from this investment instrument,” BFSB President Maria Cristina Go said.

BFSB, the wholly owned thrift bank and consumer lending arm of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), priced its maiden bond issuance on Nov. 21, 2019, at 4.30 percent per annum, with an initial issue size of PHP2 billion.

Its offer period began on Nov. 25, 2019, and was cut short by a week and a half, ending on Nov. 27, 2019, owing to robust demand.

BPI Capital Corporation (BPI Capital) is the sole selling agent, while The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited is the sole arranger and participating selling agent of this deal.

Land Bank of the Philippines–Trust Banking Group is the appointed Trustee for this bond issuance.