Covered Bonds

Latvian covered bond legislation permitting the cross-border recognition of cover pool assets is expected to be enacted later this year. The new law is considered to be essential for the development of a pan-Baltic covered bond market, legal experts have said.

Deutsche Pfandbriefbank (PBB) has mandated leads for a three year dollar covered bond in a move that underscores the importance it attaches to matched currency funding.

Nomura has expanded its covered bond trading capacity with a new hire from BNP Paribas.

The unprecedented shortage of primary covered bond supply, mounting redemptions and depleted trading inventories have created an acute squeeze on pricing. A much bigger wave of investors will soon be forced to exit the market if new bonds don't materialise.

Caisse Francaise De Financement Local (Caffil) issued only the second covered bond of the year in a large size on Monday, pricing the deal flat to its curve. Despite the prospect of mounting covered bond redemptions, the supply outlook remains abysmal, suggesting spreads will tighten more.

The combination of Deutsche Hypo into NordLB has failed to cause much of a stir in the covered bond market as, even though the merged cover pools will be very different, spreads between their Pfandbrief curves have little room for manoeuvre.

After issuing the first green covered bond, Sparebank 1 Boligkreditt has now become the first bank outside the UK to undertake a Sonia consent solicitation. The consent solicitation will increase pressure on other issuers outside the UK to follow suit.

KEB Hana Bank (KHB) of South Korea has set up a covered bond programme and, given the strength of market conditions, there are high hopes that a deal will be mandated soon.

Komerční banka (KB), a partially owned subsidiary of Société Générale, has mandated leads for the first fully distributed euro benchmark covered bond from the Czech Republic, paving the way for other major lenders to follow suit.

Financial institution borrowers are expected to concentrate efforts on their more difficult trades at the start of this year, reflecting the view that credit conditions cannot get much better — a prudent approach to funding. But the economic recovery is unlikely to be as smooth as expected, and although central banks stand ready, credit market volatility should revive covered bonds as the rainy day funding product of choice.

Aareal Bank priced the first covered bond of the year flat to its curve and, unusually, the first leg of the swap payment was priced below the European Central Bank’s deposit rate of minus 0.50%. Even so, the bonds attracted good demand.

Sustainable finance specialists are optimistic that the European Commission will make a last minute concession on its proposed rules for green buildings when it publishes its final and binding Taxonomy of Sustainable Economic Activities, expected later this month.