Auswide raises $25m short term funding
Auswide Bank (formerly the Wide Bay Australia Building Society) has issued its second senior unsecured floating rate note. This follows on from its inaugural issue, completed in August.The mutual bank's latest FRN, another 364-day $25 million issue, was priced at a margin of 70 basis points over the relevant BBSW - which was five bps wider than the previous issue in August.The FRN was sold to investors in the capital market under the bank's existing debt issuance program, with Laminar Capital acting as lead manager.Martin Barrett, managing director of Auswide Bank, said the bank's second issue of senior unsecured floating rate notes "provides cost effective funding and further diversifies our funding sources."He said the funds raised would "assist with current growth in Auswide's housing, consumer and business loan portfolio."Last month, the bank's MD set ambitious targets for home lending, backed by the lowest home loan rates in the market.