ABN Amro

Weaker trading conditions have done little to shake expectations for a new wave of additional tier one (AT1) supply, writes Tyler Davies, with three banks having reopened the market in emphatic fashion this week, issuing €3.1bn-equivalent of debt into more than €20bn of demand.

Market participants expect European banks to take a large chunk of funding through the European Central Bank’s Targeted Longer-Term Refinancing Operations (TLTRO III) programme, hitting covered bond supply levels. But issuance in other asset classes should remain unaffected as banks follow through with their funding plans.

Banks are likely to consider unusual issuance windows this year given the disruption caused by the coronavirus crisis. They could even be hard at work during the summer months, according to deal arrangers.

Enexis, the Dutch electricity and gas grid and energy services group, issued its debut green bond on Wednesday and printed the €500m issue through its secondary curve, as a strong rally in utility debt pushes demand into regulated names.

ABN Amro and Commerzbank have proven that the additional tier one (AT1) market is wide open for business, after they clocked up more than €17bn of combined demand for their two new deals on Monday.

Crédit Mutuel Arkéa, Deutsche Bank and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group this week sourced environmental, social and governance senior funding in euros, amid a shortage of supply in the format.

Crédit Mutuel Arkéa has joined a fast-growing list of banks marketing Covid-19 response funding in the bond market, raising €750m in non-preferred senior format on Thursday to finance projects through its social bond framework that tackle the effects of the pandemic

Banque Fédérative du Crédit Mutuel tested appetite on Tuesday for a 10 year non-preferred senior deal, with supply in the asset class having slowed to a near standstill during the coronavirus pandemic.

Lloyds Banking Group has become the latest financial institution to extend the life of an additional tier one capital instrument (AT1), after arguing on Friday that it would be "uneconomic" for it to refinance its €750m 6.375% notes amid the stress of the coronavirus pandemic.

A series of comeback trades has established firm demand for every debt class in the bank bond market. With credit spreads moving another leg tighter this week, issuers must now consider whether they have a precious opportunity to wheel out their riskiest transactions with the coronavirus pandemic still threatening society and capital markets. Tyler Davies reports.

ABN Amro has ended a three week hiatus in the euro non-preferred senior market, launching a new deal on the back of a strong rally for bank credit spreads.

Achmea was marketing a senior bond on Monday to refinance an outstanding bond maturing in November. The Dutch insurer started with a 'juicy spread', according to some market participants, and gave away a new issue premium of 5bp-10bp to investors.