A finance subsidiary of heavy machinery maker Caterpillar Inc. will issue its first-ever medium-term note that is denominated in the Chinese currency, the yuan.

Caterpillar Financial Services Corp. said Wednesday that the issuance was conducted in Hong Kong for institutional investors and totaled 1 billion yuan, or about $150 million. The issuance is at a coupon rate of 2 percent, maturing in December 2012.

Cat Financial said its transaction is one of the first yuan-denominated issuances of this size by a multinational company. The company will use proceeds from the deal to fund Cat Financial as it provides competitive financing options for Caterpillar customers in China through its subsidiary, Caterpillar (China) Financial Leasing Co.