PANAMA CITY, Dec. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. ("Bladex" or the "Bank"; NYSE: BLX) announced today the successful closing of a US$151.5 million 3-year senior unsecured syndicated loan (the "Facility") for Unifin Financiera, S.A.B. de C.V., SOFOM E.N.R ("Unifin" or the "Company"). Bladex acted as Joint Lead Arranger and Joint Bookrunner together with Nomura Securities International, and shall act as the Administrative Agent for the Facility.

Listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange ("BMV"), Unifin was founded in 1993 by Rodrigo Lebois and is currently the leading independent operating leasing company in Latin America. Unifin operates as a non-banking financial services company specializing in three main business lines: operating leases, factoring, and lending (auto and others) for small and medium-sized enterprises ("SME's") in Mexico. The Company has a market capitalization of approximately US$1.2 billion and is rated BB (international scale) by both Standard & Poor's and Fitch.

The deal constitutes the second international syndicated facility for Unifin, which were both led by Bladex. Proceeds from the Facility will be used to refinance Unifin's existing indebtedness and for general corporate purposes.

The transaction attracted the interest of 13 financial institutions from Central and Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and the United States, of which the majority represent new banking relationships for Unifin. There was a 1.51x oversubscription, which allowed the Company to upsize the facility amount to US$151.5 million from its original target of US$100 million.

Felipe Suarez, Head of Loan Structuring and Distribution of Bladex, stated: "We are very pleased to have successfully executed this important transaction for Unifin, which has provided the Company access to new banking relationships. This Facility adds to Bladex's continuing growth in the Latin American syndicated loan space, highlighting its distribution capabilities and its access to a wide network of regional and international financial institutions."

Bladex, a multinational bank originally established by the central banks of Latin-American and Caribbean countries, initiated operations in 1979 to promote foreign trade finance and economic integration in the Region. The Bank, headquartered in Panama, also counts with offices in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and the United States of America, supporting the regional expansion and servicing its customer base, which includes financial institutions and corporations.

Bladex is listed on the NYSE in the United States of America (NYSE: BLX), since 1992, and its shareholders include: central banks and state-owned banks and entities representing 23 Latin American countries; commercial banks and financial institutions; and institutional and retail investors through its public listing.

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SOURCE Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. (Bladex)