Vranken-Pommery fêted by Belgian retail

Vranken-Pommery Monopole, the French champagne house, sold its first bond on Monday, turning to the Belgian retail market, which has a track record of enthusiasm for modestly sized, unrated bonds from companies with well-known brands. France lacks an equivalent retail bond market. But a banker at lead manager KBC Bank said the family that owned the company also had Belgian origins, and that KBC was one of the company’s house banks.