Covered Bonds

Mediobanca attracted strong demand on Monday for a long seven year Obbligazioni Bancarie Garantite (OBG), which offered an eye-catching yield despite pricing well through BTPs. The deal emerged as the short end of the covered bond curve plunged deeper into negative yielding territory.

AXA Banque has mandated lead managers for a roadshow starting on Thursday as it looks to sell its first covered bond in euros.

DCM bankers say that market conditions are just right for some of Europe’s smaller and more marginalised financial institutions to bring new bond deals ahead of the summer.

Participants in the covered bond market believe that it is only a matter of time before issuers set out to price new deals at negative yields, casting minds back to ground breaking transactions from Berlin Hyp in 2016 and 2017.

Four major announcements have been made today by the European Commission and its Technical Expert Group, which is drafting the substance of several parts of its multi-faceted Sustainable Finance Action Plan. There were new texts on the Taxonomy, Green Bond Standard and Low Carbon Benchmarks regulations as well as guidelines for companies on how to report climate change-related information. Many market participants welcomed them.

Banks have taken a breather from issuing covered bonds in euros after a bumper week for issuance last week, but analysts suggest there is still plenty of interest among investors for further supply in the asset class.

Toronto Dominion Bank has become only the second borrower from outside of the UK to sell a Sonia-linked covered bond, having quickly met enough orders on Monday to launch a £1bn offering in the sterling market.

Royal Bank of Canada’s €1.25bn seven year issued on Wednesday dropped more orders than any covered bond has in years, ending up as one of the least subscribed deals of its size since 2011. The transaction starkly illustrated that the balance of power has shifted in favour of investors and offered a salutary lesson for ambitious issuers, writes Bill Thornhill.

Bank of Montreal (BMO) has issued the first Canadian covered bond in dollars this year, raising $1.75bn of funding at a cost that was equivalent to what it would have theoretically paid in the euro market. National Bank of Canada was quick to follow, announcing a similar deal at the same starting spread.

Všeobecná úverová banka (VUB) has issued the first ever 10 year covered bond from Slovakia, thanks in large part to the high spread that ensured a 0.5% coupon — a return that investors demand — but one that is now out of reach for most European names in this tenor.

Coventry Building Society did well to raise €500m of seven year funding with demand of €1bn on Thursday, but bankers warned that investors are close to reaching their limits on UK exposure, and the next issuer cannot expect the same result.

Rabobank attracted good demand for a dual €2bn eight year and 20 year covered bond offering on Thursday, even though the deal was issued at the tail-end of a busy week and competed for investors’ attention in euros with Coventry Building Society and Všeobecná úverová banka (VUB).