Slovenia tests investors in UK and US ahead of bond issue

Slovenia launched an investor road show in London on Tuesday to check interest for a first bond issues after recapitalising its banks and avoiding a bailout in December. "A sale of dollar-denominated bonds may follow, subject to market conditions," the Finance Ministry said in a statement ahead of the road show that will run in London and the United States. Slovenia might borrow this year up to 7.7 billion euros ($10.4 billion) to finance the budget and service its debt this year and the following two years, the government said earlier this month. At the bond issue that will follow the road show, the government hopes to raise up to 3.5 billion euros, Slovenian financial daily Finance reported on Tuesday, quoting unofficial sources. This will be the first bond issue after EU-supervised stress tests showed last month the tiny eurozone country could recapitalise its three largest state-owned banks without having to seek international help. Yields on Slovenian 10-year bonds stood at 4.62 percent on Friday, well below the perceived danger level of seven percent they had reached in March last year.