Banque Saudi Fransi Launches $300 Million Syndicated Loan

LONDON, (Reuters) – Banque Saudi Fransi, Saudi Arabia’s fifth-largest bank by assets, has launched syndication of a $300 million loan via bookrunners Calyon, Intesa Sanpaolo, RZB, SMBC and WestLB, the lenders announced on Friday. The deal, which is for general corporate purposes, is spli

Banque Saudi Fransi Launches $300 Million Syndicated Loan

LONDON, (Reuters) – Banque Saudi Fransi, Saudi Arabia’s fifth-largest bank by assets, has launched syndication of a $300 million loan via bookrunners Calyon, Intesa Sanpaolo, RZB, SMBC and WestLB, the lenders announced on Friday.

The deal, which is for general corporate purposes, is split between a three-year tranche A paying a margin of 70 basis points (bps) over LIBOR and a five-year tranche B that pays 100 bps.

Participating banks are able to commit to either tranche or both tranches.

Lenders are invited to commit at one of four levels and the top $35 million ticket pays an upfront fee of 60 bps on the A tranche and 125 bps on the B facility.

Banque Saudi Fransi last tapped the loan market in June 2005, when it signed a $650 million, five-year term loan that paid a margin of 35 bps.

Calyon holds an equity interest of 31.1 percent in the borrower.

The bank is rated A by Fitch and Standard & Poor’s, and Aa3 by Moody’s.