How times change. Only last November Gazprom signed one of the biggest syndicated loans ever for an emerging-markets borrower. Russia's gas company obtained $3 billion on respectable terms paying 175 basis points over Libor for an eight-year maturity. And the deal was oversubscribed: 39 banks signed up for amounts ranging from $242 million apiece for arrangers Crédit Lyonnais and Dresdner Bank Luxembourg, to $5 million each for ABN Amro and Mediocredito Lombardo.
Now no banker would take a Russian loan within a mile of a bank credit committee. But borrowers in less-troubled markets are also finding that the appetite for lending has diminished over the past couple of months. The syndicated loans market is still open for a variety of lenders. Deals are being done. But the market is suddenly shifting gear. Prices are rising, tenors are shortening and terms are tightening for many types of borrower.
Instead of banks queuing up to lend money, there is now a big backlog of deals. "With the exit of Japanese banks, 20% of liquidity had already been removed from the market," says Don McCree, managing director for global syndicated finance at Chase. "And now global market uncertainty has added to the liquidity drain.