SM Secures Listing of Retail Bonds in PDEX

Pasay—(PHStocks)—SM Investments Corporation (SMIC, PSE: SM) obtained the approval to list its retail bonds totalling PhP25 billion on 16 July 2012 at the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corporation. The listing will allow bondholders to freely trade their bonds through accredited brokers between the listing date and the maturity of the bonds. Specifically, the bonds to be listed are the PhP10 billion worth of Fixed-Rate Series A Bonds due 2014 and Series B Bonds due 2016, plus the recently issued PhP15 billion worth of Fixed-Rate Series C Bonds due 2019 and Series D Bonds due 2022.

SM Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Jose T. Sio said, “We are glad to have a venue by which we can provide increased flexibility to our bondholders, while also giving greater access to retail investors of SM Bonds. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all those who supported our recent bond offer.”

The PhP15 billion Series C and Series D bond offer of SM, which closed last July 6, 2012 was upsized from the initial offer of Php10 billion to PhP15 billion due to the strong demand from both retail and institutional investors. The proceeds of the bond issue will be used to finance the medium-term projects of SM in the hotel and commercial properties business.

SM is also continuing its expansion of the malls in provincial areas and in China under its mall subsidiary SM Prime Holdings Inc. (PSE: SMPH) while the residential business will be launching four to five new projects each year under its residential arm SM Development Corp. (PSE: SMDC).

Recently also, SM subscribed to its shares in BDO’s landmark rights offer worth US$1 billion to further enhance the bank’s core capital and prepare for larger infrastructure funding.