SoftBank (9984.JP) has launched USD1.5 billion and EUR1.8 billion in bond offerings, with the interest rate on its ten-year USD bonds reaching as high as 8.5%, marking the highest coupon ever paid by the company on a USD bond issuance, Bloomberg reported.The rate is close to yields paid by lower-rated junk-grade companies, report said. The company signed a USD40 billion syndicated loan agreement in March, which will be partially repaid through asset disposals.S&P Global Ratings assigned SoftBank a BB+ credit rating, one notch below investment grade, but the bond pricing is closer to that of companies rated B.
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