Louis Dreyfus Commodities, the trading arm of Louis Dreyfus Group, is tapping the debt markets in order to raise money for expansion, taking pressure off a listing.
The commodities trading giant that had revenues of just under $60 billion (€47 billion) in 2011 has issued a $350 million bond, the first in the company’s 160-year history.
The privately held group is 51% owned by the founding family, which control the shares through a trust. Louis Dreyfus was founded in 1851 and began as a grain trader.