AIB sells €500m of debt under new EU rules

AIB has carried out its debut sale of bonds issued by its new holding company, which was set up late last year to meet new European rules on minimising taxpayers' exposure to ailing lenders in future.

The group holding company sold €500 million of five-year senior unsecured bonds, priced to carry an annual coupon of 1.5 per cent. BNP Paribas, Goldman Sachs International, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley and UBS managed the deal for AIB.

AIB and Bank of Ireland set up holding companies last year following consultation with the euro zone’s Single Resolution Board, which is responsible for overhauling or even winding down troubled banks in the event of a future crisis.

Debt issued in future by these holding companies could be “bailed in” if needed, before State support would be drawn upon. Deposits, however, would remain in the banks’ operating companies, where they would enjoy greater protection.

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AIB has said that it will need to issue between €3 billion and €5 billion of “bail-inable” junior and senior debt through its new holding company over time. The new debt was rated ‘investment grade’ by only one of the three main ratings agencies, Fitch.