Mexico’s Cemex in talks with banks over $3 billion debt refinancing -BBG By Reuters

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican cement maker Cemex is in talks to refinance its entire $3 billion credit facility with banks, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing company executives.

“We’re in current discussions with our banks, because the biggest amount of debt that is maturing is bank debt,” Chief Financial Officer Maher Al-Haffar was quoted as saying in an interview.

A “100%” extension to its revolving $3 billion bank debt line is on the cards and is “likely to transform our maturity structure quite nicely,” he added.

A Cemex spokesperson pointed Reuters to prior earnings calls in which executives had discussed the potential of a refinancing.

In its July earning call, CEO Fernando Gonzalez said a refinancing could be on the cards after rating agency Fitch upgraded its outlook on the company to positive.

“In terms of refinancing, yes, … although we’re quite comfortable with our maturity profile … this upgrade and the feedback we’re getting from the capital markets should give us the opportunity before the end of the year to do some liability management.”

He did not give a detailed timeline or say what the new terms would be, but suggested it could improve the cost of borrowing.

Last year, ratings agency S&P estimated that in 2023 and 2024, Cemex would face “debt maturities of less than $500 million,” noting that the amount was “highly manageable.”

Gonzalez said a strong peso had been “very convenient” in the short term, given that Cemex’s debt is mostly in dollars and euros, Bloomberg reported.

Al-Haffar said Cemex is also considering issuing local currency bonds to take advantage of the strong exchange rate, the report added, noting that this would be its first debt sale in pesos since 2011.

Cemex has gradually begun to sell off assets in emerging markets like Costa Rica and El Salvador to “invest mainly in the US and Europe,” Gonzalez was quoted as saying.