ABN Amro

Conditions for issuance in the additional tier one market may be more attractive than ever, but there’s still good reason for some bank treasury teams to bide their time.

Argenta Spaarbank returned to the euro market on Wednesday to seal a deal that it had pulled in last October. This time around the issuer was able to bring in the funding it wanted, even though the final spread only moved 5bp from initial price thoughts.

Denmark's Torm has signed $496m of bank loans, as new regulations affecting the global shipping industry take hold.

Indian companies Birla Carbon and Tata Steel have mandated banks for loans and both borrowers have signed up large groups of lenders at the top level.

Foreign and domestic banks flocked to the UK this week as they sought to take advantage of stellar funding conditions in the sterling market. Bankers said this was the first chance issuers had to benefit from opportunities in the currency following December’s general election, which removed a lot of short-term uncertainty around Brexit.

ABN Amro and Deutsche Bank opened books on new senior deals in the sterling bond market, with bankers recognising that the currency is 'working very well' for international names.

Crédit Agricole Italia marketed a dual-tranche bond with eight year and 25 year maturities. A steeper curve helped the longer tranche offer a higher pickup against the shorter bond, but investors still placed hefty orders on both tenors.

ABN Amro made its first ever sale of non-preferred senior debt on Wednesday, as European banks give investors plenty of opportunities in add exposure in the asset class at the beginning of 2020.

Issuers rushed to open the euro covered bond market this week. Trades from ABN Amro, Erste Group and LBBW showed that investors are ready to put cash to work, but higher new issue premiums suggested that issuers were taking a 'conservative' approach at the beginning of the year.

TrailStone Group, the gas and power trader and investor based in London, has closed the year with a €150m revolving credit facility, which complies with the Green Loan Principles.

The Dutch government is looking to resume selling shares in ABN Amro, the bank that was rescued during the financial crisis, as part of its programme for fiscal stability.

The covered bond market will enter 2020 on the front foot, supported by a wave of favourable forces such as the European Central Bank’s Asset Purchase Programme and low interest rates.