Saudi Aramco prices three-part bond sale at $5bn

Saudi Aramco’s trucks are seen during exploration in the Empty Quarter, Saudi Arabia. File/Reuters

RIYADH: Saudi Aramco has priced its dollar-denominated 3-part bonds at $5 billion and set spread for them, fixed income news service IFR reported on Tuesday.
Aramco priced its five-year debt sale at $1.5 billion with spread set at 80 basis points over US Treasuries, tighter than 115 bps over the same benchmark released earlier in the day.
Meanwhile, the 10-year portion spread was set at 95 bps with a price of $1.25 billion and its 30-year portion spread was set at 155 bps with a price of $2.25 billion, IFR said. The spread was over the same benchmark tightened from 130 and 185 bps.
The proceeds from each issue of bonds will be used by Saudi Aramco for general corporate purposes, the company said in a bourse filing.
Before the pricing was announced, the debt deal was expected to be benchmark-sized, which is usually considered to be at least $500 million.
Earlier this month, Aramco reported a 4.6 percent drop in first-quarter profits, citing lower sales and higher operating costs as economic uncertainty hit crude markets.
Reuters reported last week that the oil giant is exploring potential asset sales to release funds as it pursues international expansion and weathers the impact of lower crude prices.
The company last turned to global debt markets in July when it raised $6 billion from a three-tranche bond sale.
Saudi Arabia, which is seeking funds to invest in new industries and wean its economy away from oil under its Vision 2030 plan, has long relied on Saudi Aramco to support economic growth.
Other Gulf issuers have tapped debt markets in recent months, braving a market turmoil caused by US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.
They include Saudi Arabia’s $925 billion sovereign wealth fund and Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy firm Masdar, which last week raised $1 billion with a green bond. (Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh and Federico Maccioni in Dubai, Mohammad Edrees in Bangalore; Additional reporting by Pushkala Aripaka; Editing by Kirsten Donovan, Barbara Lewis, David Evans and Mark Porter)