Covered Bonds

There was a clear shift in pricing dynamics last week with larger movements from initial price thoughts, across all sectors but particularly in the markets that carry higher inherent risk. At the same time though, real estate companies drove up the average concession paid in the corporate sector, but that measure fell in the rest of the primary market.

A tightening in spreads on senior unsecured bank bonds and wider covered bond spreads has made the latter an even less attractive funding market for issuers which, added to a plethora of additional factors, means that market could be facing its lowest year for issuance in 20.

Senior and covered bond plans were flowing into the deal pipeline on Monday, with issuers keen to buck the softer tone and print before the start of the summer break.

Market participants think spreads on HSBC’s French covered bonds will "meet in the middle" with those of the lower rated My Money Bank, as the former gets ready to sell its operations to the latter.

The sterling covered bond market exploded into life this week as three transactions worth more than £3bn priced in three days, increasing this year’s issuance by 150%, and boosting hopes that more deals will follow.

Tuesday's 10 year benchmark new issue from the EU may have widened in the secondary market on Wednesday and Thursday but with the ECB able to buy the deal from Friday onwards, spreads look well supported, said traders on Thursday.

Korean Housing Finance Corporation mandated leads for a euro covered bond on Thursday, to be issued under its social framework. At the same time, after this week’s trio of sterling covered bonds bankers believe there is scope for further Sonia-linked supply.

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce managed an outstanding result in sterling covered bonds on Wednesday. Despite the fact that 60% of this year’s entire supply has come in the past three days it managed to issue a sizeable deal at the same spread as an earlier one from Bank of Nova Scotia.

Hypo Noe considerably narrowed the new issue concession for its €500m 10 year covered bond compared to previous deals when it issued on Wednesday. However, it did not achieve its spread ambition, as investors left the order book.

The primary market was lively last week ahead of last Thursday’s European Central Bank meeting. Total issuance across the four markets that PMM reports on — SSA, covered bonds, FIG and corporate bonds — was double the previous week's total at almost $60bn-equivalent. The glut of supply afforded investors the ability to be picky and widening spreads in GlobalCapital’s data suggests that they are drawn to higher yields and green labels.

Confidence in the rates and covered bond secondary markets improved on Tuesday in the wake of a strong performance in the EU’s debut Next Gen deal, despite an initial wobble when the deal weighed in at €20bn, which was larger than expected.

TSB Bank attracted good demand for its Sonia-linked covered bond on Tuesday, pushing out along the curve with a rare seven year that sufficiently differentiates from central bank liquidity. The extraordinarily strong sterling market conditions encouraged Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce to follow Bank of Nova Scotia and mandate leads for another five year Sonia offering.