It's Only Been Two Months, But Angola Leader's a Bond-Market Hit

  • Eurobonds return 8% since President Lourenco was sworn in
  • Emerging-market bonds returned an average 0.3% in the period
Joao LourencoPhotographer: Ampe Rogerio/AFP via Getty Images
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

He’s only led Angola for a couple of months, but bond investors already like what they’ve seen from Joao Lourenco.

Angola’s $1.5 billion of bonds due in 2025 have returned 8 percent since Lourenco was sworn in as president on Sept. 26, replacing Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who had ruled the OPEC member and former Portuguese colony since 1979. That’s a better performance than any other country in the Bloomberg Barclays Emerging Markets USD Sovereign Bond Index, which includes debt from more than 70 nations.