Egypt’s Distressed Debt Lures Buyers as IMF Eases Default Fears

  • Egyptian dollar bonds outperform developing peers this week
  • Some longer bonds still quoted around 50 cents on the dollar

The city skyline in Cairo, Egypt.

Photographer: Amir Makar/Getty Images
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Investors have started rummaging through Egypt’s beaten-down debt for bargains amid optimism that a loan from the International Monetary Fund may help the north African nation avoid default.

Egypt’s dollar bonds have gained 5% this week, among the top three emerging-market performers, according to Bloomberg indexes. Credit-default swaps on its debt remain above 1,000 basis points -- a level typically considered distressed.