Joel Wiener’s Pinnacle Group raised close to $80 million, or 300 million shekels, in its latest bond offering on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.
The Penn Plaza-based investment firm, which trades in Israel under the name Zarasai Group, initially tendered an offering of up to $52 million, but increased that amount to about $79 million in response to investor appetite, according to filings with the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.
Demand for the bonds exceeded 830 million shekels, or $215 million, triple the amount offered. The high demand is likely due to the consistently low bond yield rates, making Pinnacle’s bonds — at an interest rate of 4.35 percent — attractive.
All five of Israel’s biggest insurance companies participated in the deal, a rare occurrence even for bond issues by Israeli companies, according to Rafael Lipa, who advised Wiener on the deal.
It marks a shift towards in attitudes towards American companies on the Exchange, Lipa said. “The Israeli market is starting to treat American companies like Israeli companies.”
Close to 83 percent of the total was purchased by institutional investors before the public tender Monday, and the price closed at about 1 percent above market price.
TheMarker first reported on the bond raising.
The latest offering is Wiener’s fourth since 2012, with the landlord having raised around $345 million. Wiener raised $65 million in March of this year.
Pinnacle [TRDataCustom], which specializes in rent-stabilized multifamily investments, owns more than 9,000 units across four boroughs. In the latest of several acquisitions in Flushing, the company is in contract to buy an 82-unit building on Cherry Avenue for $26 million.
Victory Consulting Group, led by Israeli financial advisers Gal Amit and Rafael Lipa, advised Pinnacle on the deal. Israeli financial services firm Poalim IBI was the underwriter on the bond issuance.