Islamic bond sales may reach record on Gulf demand
Islamic bond sales may rebound and reach a record this year, with the Gulf accounting for about two-thirds of the debt issued as higher yields attract investors, NCB Capital said.
There is an estimated ‘pipeline’ of about $39.3 billion of so-called sukuk, Jarmo Kotilaine, chief economist at Saudi Arabia’s NCB Capital, said in a report received on Monday. He estimates the pipeline from the Gulf Cooperation Council to be $24.6 billion.
“GCC sukuks, which have also faced a sell-off in recent months, are currently trading at attractive yields,” Kotilaine wrote in the GCC Debt Capital Markets report. “Sukuks have the potential to capitalise on the growing appeal of Shariah-compliant finance in today’s significantly more risk-averse market environment.”
Islamic Finance Resource 