Correct the headline, lede and details in second bullet to say $18 billion is debt programme's limit, not amount of new issuance
March 23 (Reuters) - Shares of AIA Group 1299.HK fell by the most in nearly a year on Monday, as investors grew jittery amid the broader market sell-off and concerns potential rising cost of debt issuance.
Here are some details:
AIA's Hong Kong shares slipped 7.8% on Monday to a three-month low, underperforming the benchmark Hang Seng Index's 3.5% drop, and marking their biggest single-day drop since last April.
The insurer on Monday said in a filing that the upper limit of a global medium-term note and securities programme is maintained at $18 billion, via which it issues debt securities to professional investors. It had US$14.2bn of borrowings outstanding as of end-2025.
Investors have turned risk-averse toward the Asia-focused insurer, worrying about its business prospects amid the region's economic uncertainties stemming from surging oil prices, said Jason Chan, investment strategist at Bank of East Asia.
U.S. Treasury yields have climbed to recent highs, raising concerns that future debt issuances could come with higher funding costs, Chan said.
Citigroup and HSBC are arranging the programme, with a group of international banks acting as dealers, according to the filing.
(Reporting by Jiaxing Li, Selena Li in Hong Kong and Roshan Thomas in Bengaluru; Editing by Sumana Nandy and Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
((Roshan.Thomas@thomsonreuters.com;))