The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) has granted approval to National Housing Finance and Investment for the issuance of a Tk 374.4 crore zero-coupon bond. This marks the company’s first venture into non-convertible, fully redeemable, and unsecured zero-coupon bonds. The approval was obtained during a BSEC meeting on Tuesday (28 November).
The zero-coupon bond will carry a discount rate of up to 9% and will be issued through private placement among institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals. The unit price of the bond is set at Tk 1 lakh. The funds raised through this bond issuance will be utilized by the company for providing loans in the housing sector, with an additional commitment to invest 10% of its income in government securities.
Local merchant bank IDLC Investments Ltd has been appointed as the trustee for the bond, while BRAC EPL Investments Ltd will serve as the arranger. The zero-coupon bond will be listed on the alternative trading board of the stock exchanges.
In Bangladesh, a zero-coupon bond is issued at a discount from its face value, and bondholders receive the face value at maturity. Notably, income from zero-coupon bonds in the country is exempt from income tax for both individual and corporate investors.
National Housing Finance and Investment Ltd, listed on the capital market since 2009, reported an earnings per share of Tk0.41 in the July to September quarter of 2023, compared to Tk0.69 in the same period of the previous year. As of October 31 this year, the company’s ownership structure includes sponsors and directors jointly holding 50.57%, the government holding 9.34%, institutions holding 10.47%, and general investors holding 29.62% of the company’s shares.
