Sagicor Financial, a member of the, successfully issued a new seven-year bond in August 2015 in order to refinance debt, including the US$150 million 10 year bond due in 2016. This new US$320 million bond matures in 2022, and comes with an 8.875 percent fixed rate of interest for the period with interest payable semi-annually.
JP Morgan and Scotiabank, the joint book runners for the Bond, successfully completed the transaction on behalf of Sagicor. In a recent press release, Scotiabank VP, Dylan Coke, stated, “It is important to note that not only was the Bond very successful overall, there was a robust demand for it within the Region.” He added that approximately a third of the Bond’s takers were Caribbean investors.
Rating agencies Standard & Poor’s and Fitch, have both given the Bond issue a ‘B’ rating. This rating has been capped in line with the sovereign rating for Barbados.
Sagicor a Barbados based Life Insurance company is a provider of financial services in the Caribbean and 0perating in 22 countries, including the USA and Latin America, Sagicor has total assets of US $6.2 billion and $774 million in capital. The Sagicor Group offers a wide range of products and services including life insurance, annuities and group and individual health, and has an insured base in the region of two (2) million. Sagicor is a publicly traded company with over 37,000 Shareholders, and is listed on the stock exchanges of Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and London.
The company is the largest shareholder in Jamaica’s Sagicor Group which includes banking, life and health insurance and fund management.
Sagicor Financial recorded net income from continuing operations of US$37.5 million for the first six months ended June, 2015, compared to the prior year result of US$33.2 million, an increase of 13 percent. Net income from continuing operations attributable to shareholders was US$21.8 million, compared to the prior year of US$19.3 million, an increase of 13 percent. Earnings per common share from continuing operations, was 7.0 US cents compared to the prior year result of6.2 UScents.