Covered Bonds

Moody's has given Estonia’s newly established covered bond framework a mixed report, an assessment that will be a helpful guide for the other countries in the Baltic region, which plan to use special purpose vehicles to get around some of the problems their neighbour faces.

The Financial Conduct Authority has set out plans to amend the UK’s regulated covered bond framework once European Union legislation comes into force.

Covered bond spreads are expected to widen if the European Central Bank increases its deposit rate from minus 0.4% to 0% across its whole portfolio. But some market participants think the ECB will adopt a tiered approach to the €2tr of excess liquidity held on deposit, which should not greatly affect covered bond spreads.

ABN Amro returned to the covered bond market on Monday to issue the largest 20 year transaction so far in 2019. Banks have increasingly found favour in placing deals with the ultra-long maturities, amid renewed speculation that the European Central Bank could restart asset purchases.

MünchenerHyp (MuHyp) issued the longest-ever benchmark Pfandbrief on Thursday, tapping into investors’ thirst for yield amid low interest rates. Investors poured into the book, lodging more demand than for any Pfandbrief issued for at least eight years.

Nykredit has published a green bond framework and intends to issue its first green covered bonds, in floating rate Danish kroner and Swedish kronor, in May. The benchmark deals are expected to qualify for the best capital and liquidity treatment.

Aareal Bank launched the first Reg S dollar covered bond of the year on Wednesday. With the bonds offering a substantial pick-up to where Aareal’s euro benchmarks trade, heavy demand came from European investors.

Alpha Bank Romania plans to issue the first covered bond from Romania under the country’s newly established legal framework.

The newly published Covered Bond Directive is viewed favourably by credit rating agencies, but it will not necessarily drive covered bond rating upgrades— in stark contrast to the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive.

DZ Hyp attracted an order book that was more than three times subscribed in 30 minutes for its 15-year Pfandbrief issued on Tuesday. Under normal circumstances, this would be astonishing, but in the context of central bank monetary policy, the hunt for yield and the paucity of supply in this part of the curve, the result was to be expected.

DZ Hyp has mandated lead managers for a rare 15 year benchmark Pfandbrief, which is expected to go very well in the context of the negative rate environment and scarcity of supply in this part of the curve. The transaction could well catalyse other issuers to bring 15 year deals of their own.

The Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive (BRRD) probably offers more definitive protection for covered bond investors than the newly minted Covered Bond Directive, delegates at the 12th annual IMN covered bond conference in London heard last week.