Abu Dhabi Issues $7 Billion in Multi-Tranche Bonds

The bond offering has attracted strong interest from international investors. WAM
The bond offering has attracted strong interest from international investors. WAM
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Abu Dhabi Issues $7 Billion in Multi-Tranche Bonds

The bond offering has attracted strong interest from international investors. WAM
The bond offering has attracted strong interest from international investors. WAM

The Emirate of Abu Dhabi has priced a $7 billion multi-tranche international bond offering as an integral component of its medium-term strategy, which attracted strong interest from international investors, the Abu Dhabi Department of Finance said Sunday.

Commenting on the offering, Jassim Al Zaabi, the department’s chairman said: "The success of the issuance, particularly amidst the global uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the oil price decline, is testament to the continued confidence placed in our aptitude to generate sustainable economic growth.”

“Our robust credit fundamentals and strong credit ratings with stable outlooks have enabled us to attract remarkable demand from a diverse pool of investors from the international debt capital markets,” he was quoted as saying by Emirates News Agency (WAM).

He continued, "The debt profile of Abu Dhabi continues to be prudent, underscored by low direct Government debt. As a result, we have substantial fiscal flexibility and the capacity to add debt. On that basis, we seized the opportunity to capitalize on the current available market window. Our debt management strategy is a vital component of Abu Dhabi’s economic development and supports the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030."

Abu Dhabi has a strong balance sheet and a robust debt profile, which yields substantial capacity to add debt. This capacity led to the development of the global medium-term bond strategy, said WAM.



Bitcoin Drops to 11-day Low amid Tech Selloff

FILE PHOTO: Sparks strike representation of cryptocurrency Bitcoin in this illustration taken November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Sparks strike representation of cryptocurrency Bitcoin in this illustration taken November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
TT

Bitcoin Drops to 11-day Low amid Tech Selloff

FILE PHOTO: Sparks strike representation of cryptocurrency Bitcoin in this illustration taken November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Sparks strike representation of cryptocurrency Bitcoin in this illustration taken November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Bitcoin fell below $100,000 on Monday, hitting its lowest in 11 days, in a move analysts attributed to a wave of caution after the surging popularity of a Chinese artificial intelligence model sparked a selloff in Western AI-related stocks.

The world's biggest cryptocurrency struggled to make gains last week, as a rally that had seen it break above $100,000 after US President Donald Trump's election ran out of steam, Reuters reported.

At 1156 GMT, bitcoin was at $98,852.17, down around 6% on the day, having fallen sharply in early trading to hit its lowest since Jan. 16.

Technology stocks plunged, as traders worried that Chinese AI startup DeepSeek could threaten Western companies' dominance of the sector, in a move some called AI's "Sputnik moment", referring to the former Soviet Union's launch of a satellite that marked the start of the space race in the late 1950s.

Bitcoin's losses are "seemingly driven by some risk-off sentiment circulating the markets currently due to DeepSeek," wrote eToro analyst Simon Peters.

Geoffrey Kendrick, global head of digital asset research at Standard Chartered, said a decline in Nasdaq futures had hurt crypto markets, but that disappointment over the Trump administration's announcement about a cryptocurrency stockpile had put digital assets more at risk of a sharp selloff.

Crypto failed to feature in Trump's day-one announcements after taking office last week, leaving some investors disappointed. In an executive order on Thursday, Trump created a working group to draft new crypto rules and explore a crypto stockpile, while the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) spiked accounting guidance that the industry said had stymied crypto adoption.

The prospect of interest rates staying higher for longer also hurt riskier assets, said Thomas Puech, CEO of digital asset hedge fund Indigo.

US Federal Reserve policymakers meet this week and are expected to keep interest rates on hold.