Alibaba Group will launch its first-ever bonds Thursday, an issue that’s expected to be worth about $8 billion. The sale comes on the heels of the company’s record initial public offering two months ago.
The Chinese e-commerce giant is planning to sell up to seven tranches. Five will be fixed-rate bonds ranging from three to 20-year maturities and two floating-rate options with three and five-year maturities.
Alibaba (BABA), which has a high credit rating for a Chinese corporation, started marketing the notes overnight in Asia and will price the bonds on Thursday afternoon in the U.S.
The company is believed to already have strong interest in place even before launching its appeal to investors. Sources familiar said there was interest in the range of $10 billion, according to Reuters.
The proceeds from the sale will pay off an existing $8 billion loan that was used for general corporate purposes. The income from the notes will bolster the $25 billion already raised by Alibaba in its record-breaking IPO at the end of September.
