Egypt Splits Investors Over Default Risk After Devaluations

  • Investors try to navigate challenges after three devaluations
  • Egypt’s bond spread higher than similarly rated Turkey, Angola

Residential and commercial buildings on the city skyline in Cairo, Egypt.

Photographer: Islam Safwat/Bloomberg
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The market is in disarray in navigating what’s become a once-a-decade crisis in the Arab world’s most populous country.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is taking three to six months to assess Egypt’s eligibility for its bond index after last week’s decisionBloomberg Terminal to place the country on negative watch as a result of the hurdles reported by sellers of government securities in repatriating foreign currency. A month earlier, Moody’s Investors Service said it was extending a review for downgrade of Egypt’s rating.