Bond yields for three to five-year terms range from 13-15 per cent.—Photo vef

HA NOI (Biz Hub)— The total value of corporate bonds sold during the first six months of this year has reached VND15 trillion (US$707.5 million), equivalent to 88 per cent of last year's total, according to a report from the Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV).

Property developer VIDP Group issued VND7.6 trillion ($358.4 million) in corporate bonds, mineral giant Vinacomin raised VND2.5 trillion ($117.9 million) and HCM City Infrastructure Investment (CII) issued VND1 trillion ($47.1 million) worth of bonds.

The BIDV report recorded small scale issuance of under VND100 billion ($4.7 million) from other companies. "Most of the bonds belonged to real estate firms," the report said.

Corporate bonds were favoured by commercial banks. BIDV and Techcombank bought VND500 billion ($23.8 million) and VND3 trillion ($141.5 million) worth of bonds in VIDP Group, while all the bonds issued by CII, totalling VND1 trillion ($47.6 million), were sold to Vietcombank (VCB).

"Attractive yields have brought banks with large cash reserves to corporate bonds," the report said. "Despite the gloomy economic situation that made it for bond issuance more difficult, large corporations are still alluring to investors."

The supply of corporate bonds is expected to continue to rise as companies take advantage of low interest rates to raise capital. "Along with increasing supply, demand will be large, especially for bonds from reputable businesses," the report said.

Bond yields for three to five-year terms range from 13-15 per cent.

Meanwhile, Government bonds were less attractive, according to Viet Dragon Securities Co. Government bonds during the first six months yielded about 6-9 per cent. Declining yields discouraged investors, especially banks.

In June and the beginning of this month, foreign investors sold Government bonds with a net value of VND7.2 trillion ($339.6 million). — VNS