* Aldar issues price guidance for 5-yr issue of 9 percent
* No issue size given
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DUBAI, May 19 (Reuters) - Abu Dhabi's Aldar Properties moved closer to tapping the capital markets through a bond issue, saying on Tuesday it would guarantee a possible dollar-denominated bond issued by a special purpose vehicle.
Ratings agency Standard & Poor's said it assigned the Aldar benchmark bond, which would be issued by a special purpose vehicle called Atlantic Finance Ltd., an A- rating, while Moody's assigned the notes a rating of A3.
Specialist finance publication IFR said Aldar, Abu Dhabi's largest real estate developer, had issued price guidance for a five-year issue of 9 percent, with no guidance on size.
When contacted by Reuters, Aldar Chief Financial Officer Shafqat Malik declined to elaborate beyond what the firm said earlier in May, which was that it had no immediate plans to sell bonds but that it would be meeting fixed-income investors.
The company said then it had selected Barclays Capital, Goldman Sachs International, National Bank of Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank to arrange the investor meetings.
The Abu Dhabi government and a raft of state-linked firms have already issued bonds this year as they look to boost financial resources to meet an aggressive infrastructure programme and become more transparent for investors.
Aldar's position stands in sharp contrast to Dubai's government-owned Nakheel, which has been battered by the property market crash in Dubai and is examining all options to repay its $3.5 billion sukuk issue due in December.
Aldar, according to Moody's, has a low default rate and benefits from a large number of Abu Dhabi government contracts. (Reporting by Thomas Atkins; editing by Jason Benham and Rupert Winchester)