NTMA to raise €1bn in bond auction

The National Treasury Management Agency is planning to raise up to €1 billion in a bond auction next week.

The National Treasury Management Agency is planning to raise up to €1 billion in a bond auction next week.

The NTMA, which manages Ireland’s debt, will offer a 4 per cent treasury bond with a maturity date of 2014, and a 5.9 per cent bond, which will mature in 2019.

The Government has already held several bond auctions so far this year in a bid to raise the shortfall between spending and tax revenue.

However, experts warned against becoming complacent about borrowing.

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"Quite simply, the huge levels of debt we are building up are unsustainable in the long-run," said Bloxham economist Alan McQuaid.

"Ireland is now in a position where it needs to borrow more to fund a larger budgetary deficit, while paying higher costs for this borrowing. This means that ever increasing proportions of the country's tax revenues will be needed to service the national debt.

"That said, this last auction of the year is again expected to see solid demand especially as the Nama bill has passed through parliament and the Government remains committed to introducing a tough Budget in December."

Seperately, EBS announced that it has raised €1 billion of three-year funding through a covered bond transaction.

The transaction was carried out yesterday, with more than 70 per cent of orders coming from international investors. A total of 75 investors participated from 16 different countries.

EBS chief executive Fergus Murphy said it was a vote of confidence in the EBS business model.

"The success of this transaction clearly demonstrates the ability of EBS to fund outside the Government guarantee," he said.

EBS will pay an annual coupon of 3.875 per cent for the bond.