Turkish Bank Bonds Trading in Distress Defy Erdogan’s Optimism
- Lira’s plunge to record low spurs concerns bad loans may rise
- Risk premium on Turkish corporate debt higher than Nigeria
Passengers travel on a ferry along the Bosporous Strait past the city skyline in Istanbul, on Aug. 11.
Photographer: Kerem Uzel/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey’s banks are “doing fine.” But as the lira spirals ever lower, debt investors are taking a less sanguine view.
The bonds of three Turkish lenders are trading at distressed levels, which shows the deteriorating opinion of investors on the ability of the companies to repay their obligations, even though the banks remain profitable and highly capitalized. That’s the same number of firms as serial-defaulter Argentina, according to a Bloomberg Barclays Emerging Markets index.